THE FARM.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 182, 17 December 1880, Page 4

THE FARM.

HOW TO HANDLE ,SHEEP

Many a crawler or cripple on the run is accounted for by the thoughtless and often very brutal manner in which sheep are handled in the yard or by. the shearer. It is very probable that the Idea of large numbers being about causes men to lie careless, their object very often being to get through as many in the day as possible, the loss of one or two .sheep being considered insignificant when compared with the value of the work done. In this they arc lmt too often encouraged by their employers, who designedly cause to be yarded such numbers that all bands are likely to be kept very busy for the whole of the day, many of them earing little or nothing by what means their ends are accomplished. Little thought seems to bo devoted to the fact that many of the poor brutes sustain permanent injury through the rough handling which they receive, the consequences of which may not become apparent for months afterwards, when it is usually ascribed to sonic constitutional or natural cause. 'l'hc drafting-race has no doubt done a great deal towards removing the risk of injury but even this, when the gate is in the hands of a careless or inexperienced man, is the cause of a great deal of harm, as in either case many an animal enters the receiving 2>en with broken ribs, while occasionally there is a broken neck to be dealt with. Shoe]) must bo handled for paring ami shearing, and it is a notorious fact that it is then that the most injury is inflicted. The usual mode of handling a sheep in the shearing-shed is most barbarous. The shearer goes into the pen, selects the animal he wants, and catches it by the wool or by the bind leg, and drags it out of the crowd and into the open part of the pen. As a rule, it is then dragged by the leg on to the shearing floor, the shearer walking upright, probably carrying a pair of shears in his hand. .Having arrived at the proper place, a kick against the fore legs, something after the style of the Cornish wrestler brings it to the ground, after which shearing commences. Wo must give the colonial shearers credit for the manner in which they handle sheep while they are taking the wool off, and believe that injury is very seldom inflicted while the shears are at work. When sheep arc yarded for paring, or for drafting in ordinary yards, they are usually caught and handled in a very similar manner, 'that under these circumstances very few escape without bruises or more serious injury is self-evident. When the flock is small, the owner or manager generally attaches too great a value to it allow any ill-usage of any description, either in the yard or the shearing-shed, and he generally takes care that the proper rules arc strictly adhered to. To handle a slice]) properly, and it is not necessary to catch it by the hind leg except when the animal i.; very wild, and even then it should only be hold in that fashion until an arm can be placed around the neck of the animal. The leg should not be hold longer than this, otherwise the sheep is likely to sustain internal injury. It the right hand is placed on the neck so as to prevent it from running .away, the left.should he put oil the tail. Thus held the slisep will ho a little in advance, and naturally inclined to make efforts to get ahead, as the best way to get away from its assailant. These are very easily controlled by occasionally raising the fore feet oft tile ground. In any case, a mail with even the least practice will find no difficulty in getting to the place he desires to reach, the greatest difficulty being that the sheep wants to get along too fast. In no ease should a sheep he held by the wool or skin, as a very bad bruise would be a certain consequence. There is a right and wrong way of turning a sheep over. The proper method is to lift up the fore part of the animal, so that the feet are a few inches from the ground, at the same time grasping the off hind leg (the higher tip the hotter), and then putting it on its haunches. Taking hold of the flank if most objcctablc, and a man who is caught doing it should be dismissed without a moment’s warning. Once down there should be no further difficulty, for occasional struggles are easily overcome by a little patience. All sheep are not alike, and some are more easily managed than others, but a comfortable position will always be found a good preventive.— Exchange.