SUMMER FEEDING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 18 August 1909, Page 20

SUMMER FEEDING.

1 Many men who own sheep and keep them on, a farm, for they- can haardly he called sheep growers, appear to have a ftrmily-fixed! idea somewhere in their heads that sheep in the summei time can take care of themselves ; tihat no feed need b provided, nor care of any kind -exorcised, but just turn tshem out in some field (generally the poorest on the farm) and let them go. A more mistaken notion never gained en/trance to amy man's cranium. It has been written about and exploited that sheep require less caa-e and' get their own living Ibetteor than anj of our domes-trio animals. But when a sheep owner starts to do business on that principle he is practically depriving hmself of a groat part of the profits to be secured from sheep and their growing-. In some respects summer feeding is just as important, if not more so, as is feeding in winter. Much of the profit from the Hock comes from the lamibe, and" it is necessary tihat they be kept .growing every miniate of their lives. Stop the growth of the lambs and you stop tihe profits. Pasture, of course, is the main feed, but there is difference in. pasture." Early in the spring in tie northern latitudes the mainstay is blue grass and timothy pastures, with a mixture of the various clovers, but as soon as (possible clover pasture exclusively should be furnished to the flock of ewes and lambs. Generally this is not possible until after 'the bay crop is secured, but in any case pastures should be used which have been seeded recently. «. The great enemy of the farmer sheep grower in tihe eastern half of this country is the stomach worm, and it has beei pretty well demonstrated that old pastures that ha-ve lain any length of time are the finest breeding grounds for these pests. j With ofcbef nwnuxaafs too •much grass will not be secured, but in connection witb sheep pasture it is a curious fact that too | tall grass that has grown rankly is not ' near as gocd feed as that which has been kept picked down. By tJhis is not meant ' that the grass roots should be bared below the ground, but grass, except clover, should not be allowed to attain sudh growth as to head when being used for sheep pasture. I When weaning time comes, which generally happens atout .the latter part of July, the lambs should be taken from their ' <mothers and put on the best second -growth ' clover field you have. Then if you went to hurry tiliem a little on their road to market, give them some oats every day with a little corn. Now, then, if you wan* to give them a hange, which ie always a good tihirag, have a rape field ' ready Thic should be ueed in connection with pasture, and the time of using ! depends on when it was sown, and the character and. amount of other grazing feed ' you ha%e. If you are short ot other pas- , tute, rape sown, early in the spring is '• ready for the lambs by weaning time ; and then a succession of plots sown after corn planting and again ia the corn when it is cultivated the last time will supply you i with rape from weaning time to winter. I And it is good for the ewes as well as the lambs. It should be fed off when it attains a height of 6in to 8io» and th&n it will grow up again in three or four weeks, aaid you will have another crop the same as with grass. This rape is great j feed. It is cheap, easy to gTOw, the shea? !do their own harvesting, and make big ' gains on it, and there is no danger of in- ! feotion of stomadb worms from it. | While the lambs are having all the choice feed, what is being' done with the ewes? A good place fox tht -n for a month or more immediately after weaning, depending on the season, and the quantity of feed, lis the grain stubble field. They will eat i the fresh green leaves, pick up the ecat- ■ tered grain, and clean the good grass I out of the fence corners. It is feed i that does not cost a penny In fact, it is worth no small sum to have it taken from the ground;. Wfcem this is done some of the second-growth meadows are ready for them. They should not be stinted on their feed, but should have good pasture, and .tome of that xape will not hurt them. This >s the time of yeaar when they should r-est, and if any have grown thin or out of condition, now they should fatten and gain flesh and etaengib. There are many little things thai need watching about a flock of sheep during the summer. Good shade is essential. Many ' ft hot summer day have we seen * flock [ of sheep lying out ia the pjgen or hud_dlej|

in a fence corner, panting and fighting flies, and every minute a burden to them. One good tree which furnishes ample shade is worth mare to a flock of sheep than, a (hundred times the amount of grass that would grow wttiore that tree is. Sheep feel the sun the same as a man. Then, protect them from it if you want them to •bhirive.

Fresh, pure water is another essential. No animal i<? so particular about the cleanliness of the water it drinks as is a &iieep, and ho needs water just as much as he needs feed. If there is not running water in the field the flock should go to the bain every day to have its drink from the well. Stagnant, muddy pools and pond holes are rank poison to the flock. Salt is another essential to the e/heep. At least onoe c week, ,and better twice, a panful of salt scattered out in the pasture is th 9 proper act. Put the salt on some noxious weeds (you can probably find some unless you are a better farmer than we have -ever segn), or put it on a rock. In the east, where stomach worms must be fought, a goodi method is to put a- covered box in the field and keep a medicated salt or common salt mixed* with some worm powder in this box all iihe time. If this latter meithod is followed, car© should be taken that salt is never wanting 1 in the box, ior if fchare aihould be no salt for even, a day, when a new supply is furnished some might overeat, with disastrous ret suits.

In the 6pri;ig and early summer is & goodi time to dip and destroys the ticks.. The jjreat pests of the cheep, however, are flies and the etomaoh worm. In hot, damp spells, oareful watoh must be kept that flies do not attack the flock. A little damp ©pot anywhere on the sheep, especially if it should be dirty, will attract them, and a few liours suffice to make ha.voo Tviifh the shesp. The shears and some good cairbolic dip or disinfectant will take good care of the maggots.' The most dangerous enemy of fche lamb* is tihe stomach worm. Stealthy, insidious, fatal, he generally finds his way to the vitiate of the innocent lamb and performs hris deadly work before any but the keen* est shepherd will have detected his pre« sonoe in the flock. Taking the younger, weaker lambs with less resistance power, he comes at a busy time fear the average farmer or sheep-grower, generally about haying and harvesting time. And this worm 'works fast end multiplies amazingly. When once he has passed all tihe guards of prevention we have found but one sure check to his deabructaon,. and that is the toxaline treatment. Heroic measure as it is, and sometimes fatal, yet it is the only remedy if oar© has not been taJien to pre* i vemt the trouble.

Thcs9 are some of the things that the flockmasfcer must waifcch axid do when they should be don© if he wishes to secure the most profit from his flock. Constant watchfulness is ever -necessary. It secures the most profits from the flock of sheep, and is as necessary in summer as any other time of tha year. — American Sheep-bareedflr.