The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-04-18
SMALL FARMERS
TO RAISE SHEEP
COMBINE INDIVIDUAL BANDS
AND HAVE ONE HERDER TO
CARE FOR THEM.
Unique Plan of Farmers Owning
Small Bands of Sheep in Yellow
stone Valley; Venture Will BE
Watched With Interest.

Sheep raising by farmers on the
non-irrigated lands of the Yellow
stone valley by consolidating small
individual bands into combined
band under the care of hired sheep
herders is about to be undertaken
at the suggestion of County Agent
Stapleton this spring.
The plan was inspired by the ex
cellent conditions in the sheep, WOO
and lamb industry. Range condition!
promise to give the venture an au
spicious start.
Two other feeding factors are en-.
couraging the move. One is the
availability of the sugar beet pulp
as feed and the success with corn
which will permit the growing OF
that crop as forage pasturage in the
field, as in hogging-down.
Fattened on Pulp
Last year there were between 40
000and so, 600 sheep fattened in the
Montana fields, of which 10000 were
fattened on the beet pulp near Bill
ings. With the development of the
beet growing industry, more sheep
probably will be fattened here and
there will be some measure of recov-
cry of the status of the early days of
the century, when 100000 sheep
were fattened annually in Montana.
According to present plans, the ex-
pertinent of having a company of
farmers hire sheepherder probably
will be tried out this summer, in Ell
Their the Pineview or Broadview sec
ton, by groups of farmers. This will
put the farmer on the same basis as
the big sheepmen in cutting down
expense and will solve the need of
having a watch over the sheep con-
stantly.
Each os the farmers interested will
plant corn this summer and the sheep
will be turned into the fields in the
fall when the grain is ripe. This plan
has been followed with considerable
success in the northen part of the
state. Low growing types of corn are
favored as making better pasture,
more easily secured by the sheep as
we'll as yielding more to the acre.
BY combining homegrown feed for
sanized group to stand the expense
If care, Mr.. Stapleton believes that
he main problems of raising small
bands of sheep will be solved.
With the shep market in its present
excellent condition, Mr.. Stapleton
'inds a great deal of enthusiasm for
sheep raising. He expects that be-
,ween 20 and 30-farmers in the non
irrigated sections will take up the
within the next year in yell
owstone county.
Industry Coming Back
Government records show that
here is a very gradual coming back |
# the sheep industry in Montana. |
n the state in 1901 when there was |
$4,000 sheep in the state. The
lecline reached low ebb in 1921 with /
,743,000, but returned to 2,315, 900
n 1928 and made asmaller increase
o 100000 the first of the year. In
the low ebb continued until |
922 with 2,686,000 with slight re-
overy to 2,776,000 the following
ear. Montana now ranks fifth in
he number of sheep with Texas, Wy
ming, Idaho, California ahead.
According to County Agent w. P.
tapleton, there are more inquiries
bout the sheep business from nom
farmers than about any new
looking toward diverisfi-
alton in which they are interested. Il
lie expects to see considerable devel-
pment along the line of bands of
90 to 800 sheep on non-irrigated
arms during the next few years.