OCR Text |
Show Winter Care of Breeding Flock It Is very Important that the ewes of tho (lock bo put In proper coinll-, Hon beforo lambing time ns other-1 wise tho farmer or breeder can export on'y small pcrcentago of lambs, i There are two conditions Hint may j result In tho raising of n small per-1 centngo of lambs. First, many peoplo i havo tho Impression Hint tho ewes can bo kept throughout tho yenr en coarso rough feeds with no grain v-cept v-cept porhnps a small amount after lambing. Tho result Is that tho owes being thin nt lambing tlmo "rodiro weak lambs and do not produce enough milk to keep tho lambs nllvo I for tho first fow days. Tho second condition, In which tho ewes are too fat is far less common, but does occur. If tho owes havo had the run I of a rood pasturo during the summer, I they may bo in very high condition In early winter. Then If rather heavy grain feeding Is Btnrted early tho ewes may become too fat for best ro-suits. ro-suits. In any flock of great size, thero Is always much Individual vnrl-' atlon In the tendency of the ewes to put on fat. For this reason It Is o'-ten o'-ten advlsablo to divide the flock, putting put-ting tho fntter ewes together nnd feeding them rather light until near lambing time. The ewes thin In condition ' -juld be fed enouqh to J bring them to good breeJIng condition I beforo lambing. I If tho owes aro In good brooding I condition In the fall nnd a good qua'-'.Ity qua'-'.Ity of roughago Is fed, no grain need bo given until nbout three or fair weeks before tho beginning of tho lambing senson, Tho grnln then given giv-en should consist of feeds that favor a good milk flow ns oats or brnn. A mixture of tho two shou'd provo vorv satisfactory. Up to tho tlmo of lambing, only nbout ono half to three-! three-! quarters of n pound lor day need be fed. Aftor tho Inmblng period, tho amount should bo Increased Rome-what. Rome-what. Tho propor amount to food i then would depend on tho slzo of tho , ewes, tho percentage of lambs nnd ether factors. ,tj B The question of roughago for ewes i ( ' 'H is n very Important ono. Alfalfa and ' : , U clover hay nio almost essential if tho ' J; ery best resu'ta nro to bo obtained. Ii'i' i tl Very coarso fibrous hays, cspeclnl y - ' j, iM timothy, havo been shown to bo vory ,, ' M objectionable ns a rcughngc for prcg- y. I 'H nam ewes. Somo form of succulent ; ,1 ' jJM feed of roots or corn sllngo cat) bo j J ;H used to very great advantago If tho j ' 1 cost Is not prohibitive. i i k9 Tho feeding Hhouhl not be tin only U H consideration In tho management of ', j iH tho flock, but tho question of shqltcr ' v lfH and exercise nr wiiv'y Important. " H !IIH CIoeo housing nut on j Is not c.scn- (IbI Hal, but should bo guarded against , ft ipH nnd Instead a moro open houso or a $ mH shed should bo provided. Warmth of 3 1; )M the houso Is not nn Important con- I i - slderatlon for If kept dry the shecp'n j j ,. llecoo will servo to keep the body A j M warm. Care thou d be takn that s 4 M the sheep do not hnvo to stand In '''ijB damp and muddy places. C. V. Sin- I '!'' '. gletnn, Idaho Experiment Station. -; j ,M |