SHEEP ON THE FARM.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2709, 13 December 1882, Page 4

SHEEP ON THE FARM.

The following remarks upon the keeping of sheep by farmers were read before the Kaiapo and Sefton Farmers’ Clubs, by TVTv Reginald Foster, of Amberley, inspector of sheep for North Canterbury district

Agricultural and pastoral pursuits have of late years become matters of science as •well us of practical-experience. The agricultural chemist and the inventor of implements have wrought wonderful changes in agriculture, and the breeder of pure stock with the assistance of the show-yard has done much for stock. The result is seen in the rapid strides which are being made each year in the improvement of laborsaving machinery, the better system of farming, and the increased quantity of highly-bred stock. Telegraphic and steam communication having brought us into direct competition with the rest of the world, we now find that London is the ruling market for all we produce. It has, therefore, become absolutely necessary for the New Zealand farmer to keep himself well informed on all matters pertaining to his especial occupation, if he hopes to hold his own in the markets of the world. It is everywhere seen that the successful farmer is he who combines the knowledge he has gained from his own practical observations with that which ho has gathered from the experiences of others.

Our climate, soil, and the other conditions under which wo live, are so different in many respects from those in Great Erilaia, that a great deal of what wo read on agricultural and pastoral matters in Homo papers is not applicable to our own circumstances, or only partially so. it is all the more necessary, therefore, that we should make known to each other our experiences, and we cannot do this better than by reading and discussing papcis on practical subjects at the mootings of Farmers' 01 übs.

The management of sheep is a subject of groat importance to the farmer, because •with the exception of unchained swamp land —and to the owner of such land I would at once say —“Your land Buifced for cattle, don’t keep sheep” —no farm can be worked to advantage without them. They are not only highly beneficial to the laud, and according to the attention they get, very profitable also, but it is always well to have something to fall back upon in case of a bad harvest. The farmer who, besides his crops, has cattle, sheep, and pigs, is sure of something to help him through a bad year. Wool and mutton must always hold aprominent position among the exports of New Zealand, for experience has proved that our climate and soil are admirably suited to their production. Mr Mulhall, in his pamphlet on Hew Zealand, states that the value of our clip is 2d per head over that of Australia, while our average weight of carcases is no less than 181 b more than theirs ; the value of the mutton per lb in jLondpn being about the same, if anything in our favour, thus showing that we possess great advantages over our neighbours. The development of the frozen meat trade will, no doubt, lead to increased attention being paid to breeding and grazing; indeed, it may be expected to cause a new departure to be made in our system of farming. More roots will be grown, winch will be to the advantage of the land, ft will probably be found necessary to provide some green crop, to come in about the end of December, in order to get the sheep intended for fattening well over the dry season, when the grass is burnt up, and the price of oats cannot go below ?s a bushel, because, with meat at 3d per lb, it will pay to feed them to sheep at that price. In commencing a flock the farmer has first to consider the capabilities of his laud, and whether he himself possesses the experience and judgment which are the necessary attributes of the successful breeder and grazier, and upon this will depend his future course, as to whether he decides upon establishing a pure bred flock or confines his attention to the less ambitious, though perhaps as profitable, jsystem of sheep farming for the production of wool and mutton or store sheex>, which is the usual practice here. Of the long woolled breeds of sheep familiar to us here, it is generally considered that the Romney Marsh is best suited to the low-lying lands, Lincolns to rich heavy land, and Leicesters to the lighter land. With the exception of the Southdown, which is essentially a muttonproducing animal, we have not hitherto had much to do with the various English down breeds.

The most useful sheep we have for general purposes is the first cross from the merino ewe by a long-woolied ram, the result being a sheep with good constitution, which matures early, grows a heavy fleece of excellent quality, and attains a good size. It is found, however, that the next cross from these sheep frequently results In a very uneven class of sheep, both as regards constitution, wool, and fattening properties, owing, I think, mainly to the want of sufficient care in the selection of rams and to neglect in culling. Experiments have been commenced in one or two instances with a view to establishing a distinctive New Zealand breed of sheep, by crossing between the merino and Leicester or Lincoln, but so far as 1 can learn they have not been followed up.

I see no reason why this should not be successful. The different English breeds have been bred by careful selection to suit certain localities and soils, probably in some instances from sheep as diverse in character as the Leicester from the merino. Why should we not do the same ? The idea is to procure a breed of sheep similar in character to our first cross sheep, combining the frame and length of staple of the larger breed, with the fineness and density of the wool and good constitution of the merino. For this purpose I prefer iffie Leicester to the Lincoln, the latter bfing a larger and coarser sheep, the difference between it and the merino is too eiL’cme, The Lincoln requires better feeding than the Leicester, while its fleece, though heavier, is not proportionately more valuablbh and I think the Leicester cross is more suitable to the generality of our land. It fvcoduces a sheep which will fatten up to !?fllb, the weight required for the home market.

To command success, I believe it would be necessary for at least three breeders to start together, so that they might exchange rams, and so avoid too much inbreeding. Pure bred sheep should be chosen on both sides, tire merino owes possessing good frames, and ram lambs should be saved from each cross and be put to the ewes of the same cross, this system being followed throughout, until a distinct breed capable of reproducing themselves is obtained. The ewes would require to be liberally culled, saving those only which show the nearest approach to the typo which it is desired to establish, and choosing rams of the same type. Having in view the demand for good framed, early maturing sheep, which the meat freezing trade will undoubtedly occasion, and, remembering that England can produce plenty of the coarser sorts of wool, while our climate and soil arc favourable to the growth of the finer classes, and that as our country becomes more settled, so will the supply of merino owes diminish, I feel sure that such a breed as I have described will be the future sheep for the farmer.

Having decided on what class of sheep he will start with, the farmer will proceed to purchase his owes or store sheep, and in doing so he will do well to recollect that a good sheep eats no more than a bad one, while its produce, whether in wool, mutton, or lambs, will probably bo worth half as much again. He should look for a good even lot of deep-framed, short-legged, soundlooking sheep. Evenness is usually a sign of good breeding, a deep broad frame indicates good constitution, and a light barrel with long legs the reverse; condition is not of so much importance in breeding ewes so long as they look healthy and thriving. In the selection of rams lies one of the most important features in the management of the breeding flock. A very common practice is to get a neighbor to save a ram lamb or two, because they happen to bo well grown, taking looking sheep. There can he no greater ; unless

a ram is well bred on both sides, he cannot be relied upon to reproduce his good qualities in his progeny. A large proportion of the washy-woolled uneven sheep we see in the saleyards is duo to carclessnessinthcsolection of the ram. With the splendid show of highly bred rams to be seen each year at our ram fair, many of which are sold at very reasonable rates, there can bo no excuse for this suicidal policy, for if a man cannot afford to purchase, he can hire these rams.

The culling of breeding ewes, too, is frequently neglected in every flock. No matter how well bred they may be, there are inferior sheep to be seen. It cannot be expected that a faulty ewe can produce anything but a faulty lamb. It is far better, therefore, that she should be drafted into the wether flock and fattened.

A good lambing depends in a great measure on the treatment the ewes get. Breeding ewes, when they go to the ram, should be in good improving condition, not fat, and they should, at the same time, be on good feed. The difficulty commences after this. As the ewe advances in pregnancy she naturally requires better feed to sustain the growing lamb, whereas, just at this time, being winter, the feed is failing. I attribute a great deal of the mortality which occurs among ewes bearing twin lambs, to this want of sufficient sustenance during the few weeks before lambing. It is probable that a few turnips or mangels given to the ewes on their pastures at this period would be very beneficial. Lambing on turnips is found not to succeed. The superabundance o c watery food is apt to cause dropsy in tho Ip.mb, besides being too sudden a change to the system of the owe. Good feed, however, is essential for the production of strong, healthy lambs. The time of lambing depends upon the locality and the purpose for which tho lambs arc bred. There is no doubt that, providing the farm is well sheltered and tho ewes have plenty of feed, tho winter lamb makes the best sheep, besides being at once valuable for the butcher ; but where these conditions are wanting, September is tho best month, as at this time there is usually some spring in the grass, and tho ewes have plenty of milk. Tho lambing flock should be carefully watched at lambing time, for though, as a rule. Nature is better left to herself, there are cases where assistance is necessary.

Ewes should not bo kept after they begin to get bare on the points and fail to grow good sound fleeces ; calling for age, however, should not be followed too closely, for it is better to breed from a good old ewe than a bad young one. Lambs should bo marked and docked at about six weeks old. They feel the operation less and thrive bettor afterwards if it is done at this time rather than later on, and the losses are much fewer. A fine cool day should be chosen for this work ; and they should be weaned at about four or five months old. This gives the ewes sulficiont time to recover before going to the ram again. There is great diversity of opinion as to the advisability of shearing lambs. My own experience is that it is a good plan in the case of early lambs. They appear to do better both as regards growth of frame and wool, and are not so liable to the attacks of lice and ticks, besides which they do not give nearly so much trouble in the spring in the way of daggiug and getting cast as full fleeced hoggets do. Shearing lambs is, however, a risky proceeding in the case of bleak, badly sheltered paddocks, and is a matter best left to the judgment of the owner himself. Upon the treatment a lamb gets for the six months after weaning, depends whether or not he will make a good sheep. A neglected lamb can never mature early or attain a large frame, two of the essentials of our sheep farming of the future. To make good sheep lambs must always be kept growing. On light land it is not very easy to do this, because at weaning time the feed is usually dried up. If, however, they have plenty of water, they can do better at this time on short feed than they could later on when the weather is colder. In any case, it is better to risk chocking thorn a little than to put them on swamp feed, whore they are liable to become infested with flukes or bronchial worms. This summer scarcity of feed does not usually last long, for the stubble feed soon comes in followed by the autumn grass, when, if the land is not overstocked, the weaners are able to get a good heart for the winter. A few turnips are a wonderful help to the growing hogget; the efieefc Is readily seen in the increased growth of frame and fleece.

November is the usual shearing month, but many shear in the latter end of October. As a rule, however, the yolk has not risen in the wool to any great extent at this time, and the consequent loss of weight means less money to the farmer, as the buyer does not make up the difference in the price per lb he gives. The shearing of hoggets should not be left too late, as they do much better if they are relieved of their heavy coats before the hot weather commences.

Why shearing should be the one operation in farm work which, as a rule, is more slovenly done than any other, it is difficult to say, and yet undoubtedly such is the case. It seems to be forgotten that the three or four ounces of wool often left on the sheep would pay for the shearing. A nice evenly shorn mob of sheep is much more readily saleable in the yards than the roughly shorn ones. Bad shearing seems to show out the bad points of a sheep. A very common fault in shearing is doublecutting the fleece in going round the back. This should be corrected.

The fleeces should always be well shaken, the stained pieces removed, and he kept clear of straws and other rubbish before they are rolled up. If the Horae buyer finds dirt and foreign matter in one fleece, he will credit the whole with being in the same condition, and regulate his prices accordingly. After shearing hoggetts soon become two-tooths, and the well grown ones will be required the following winter for turnip feeding. It is important, therefore, that they should he kept growing and improving. Sheep which have been allowed to go hack in condition, take a long time to recover. Take, for instance, a flock of fresh conditioned wethers, divide them into two mobs, putting one on good pasture and the other on poor feed, so that the skaep will go hack in condition, then in a month or so put both lots together on turnips, and it will be found that when the first lot are fat, the others will have done little more than regain the condition they had lost. This leads me to speak of that very common practice of overstocking, the evils of which are so often seen in the saleyards and elsewhere. It is not uncommon to see sheep sold in the yards for the same price, or perhaps less, than they brought three months before, and this because they had been undergoing a process of semi-starvation. Thu evils of overstocking do not end with loss in the value of sheep, and the difficulty and loss uf time experienced in getting them in condition again, for it will probably bo found that a break in the wool has been caused. A sudden reduction of food, especially if accompanied with bad weather, will cause a check in the growth of the wool, occasioning a tenderness in the fibre which renders it unfit for combing purposes, and consequently less valuable than sound wool to the manufacturer. Want of food soon shows itself in ragged fleeces, which means loss of wool, and in the lambing flock the effect is scon in fevered ewes and weakly lambs. It will thus be seen that overstocking can in no instance pay. It not only causes the direct loss of money, but it is very apt to engender disease and weakness of constitution, which may affect future generations. It does not always follow that because sheep arc not doing well, the farm is overstocked. The sheep may be without water, or it may be that the farmer is not making the best use of his grass. For • instance, we often see sheep having the run of several paddocks, the gates between being left open. This is a mistake. Sheep, like horses and cattle, are clean feeders, and do not like soiled grass. But most sheep, especially if they have any merino blood in them, keep travelling when they are grazing, and tread more grass than they cat. Supposing 100 acres of grass, which will carry four sheep to the acre, is divided into four paddocks, the sheep having the run of the whole, it will he noticed that while one fourth perhaps aro feeding three fourths are

moving on and talcing the lead in their turn, the reason being that the sheep have too much room. Now if these 400 sheep had one paddock at a time they would feed more quietly, and a great deal of the restless wandering and the continual stringing through gateways would bo avoided. Every shower of rain and every heavy dew washes and freshens up the grass, making it more palatable. By frequent changing the sheep would always have fresh grass, and the grass would bo economised. Merino wethers, fresh from the station, are especially apt to wander when put in paddocks. A few crossbreds put with them soon have the effect of steadying them. In purchasing sheep for turnips it will be found that the first cross from the merino is the most profitable sheep j they possess good constitutions, show great aptitude to fatten, and produce the most saleable mutton and good skins. The sheep, when bought, should be in good forward condition. Sudden change from poor to rich feed is to bo deprecated. Low conditioned sheep should not bo changed from poor grass to turnips, they should, if possible, be first put on better feed to give them a start, or if this cannot be done, it would be better to take them off the turnips at night for a week or two.

Sheep fatten quicker if they have hay with the turnips. This, of course, means expense, but it is to be hoped that with tho increase in tho value of mutton we expect soon to see, we shall bo able to afford tho extra outlay. If, as often happens hero, there is but little margin left between the price of store and fat stock, it will be found advisable to put the young sheep on the turnips, provided there are sufficient to carry them well into the spring, as more harm than good would result from suddenly changing them on to grass again in July or August. Sheep do better on a small area of turnips than on a largo one. On the small plot, as the turnips got eaten down, they have to travel more for their food, thus getting a tolerable amount of exercise to assist the digestion, whereas on the larger area they get their fill with so much ease that they simply eat and lie down. In very wet weather sheep should be taken off the turnips. They will very soon go back in condition if they have to stand in mud all day, and have no dry camp at night. In conclusion, the points I wish to urge more especially are—First, the necessity of keeping your sheep well; a few well kept sheep will give a far better return than half as many again indifferently kept. Secondly, choose that class of sheep which you find do best on similar soil to yours, for it is well known that where one breed of sheep will do well another will starve. Thirdly, never breed from a weakly ewe or use a bad ram ; and, lastly, pay the same attention to your flocks that a good farmer pays to the working of his land and the getting in of his crops. Looking upon sheep as producers of wool and mutton, as well as improvers of the soil, good management of them really means the attainment of those objects to the fullest extent at tho least cost.