THE WAY To HANDLE SHEEP.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 486, 20 December 1879, Page 2

THE WAY To HANDLE SHEEP.

Tiikub is a right way ami a wrong way, a lianl way ;:m.l an easy way, an awkward way and a ski!fit! way. to catch and handle sheep. A great many men will catch, the sheep hy the wool on the back wilii both hands, and lift the animal clear from the ground hy the woo! only. Barbarous ! Let some, great, giant grasp you by the. hair of your load ami lift you from the ground by the hair only ! .Would you . not struggle and sipiirm worse* Ilian the mute sheep does when lilted by. tin; wool ? And would there not be a complaint, of a sore head for a week or two ! if you do not believe it, try the experiment. Wc have slaughtered a great many sheep in years past, and whoa removing tins pelts of such sheep as have been handled hy the wool, we never failed to observe that honealli the skin wherever the. animal had been caught hy the blood had settled,, in many the skin had been so pa rated from lhe ; hodv, so that inflammation was apparent. We have known proprietors of sheep to be so stiict in regard to handling them, that they would order a helper from the premises if he were to calcii a sheep by the wool on any part of the body. Some owners of sheep direct their helpers thus —When about to catch a sheep, move carefully towards the one to be taken, until you are sufficiently near to spring quickly anti seize the beast by both hands, then pass one hand round the body, grasp tile brisket, and hit the sheep clear from the ground. 'i he wool must not Ire pulled. Il tin.* sheep he a. heavy one, let one hand ami wrist be put around the neck and the arm pressed against the leg.” IV c have always handled sheep in the way alluded to. We never grasp the wool. Others seize the sheep, hy a hind leg. then throw one arm around the body and take hold ot the brisket with one hand, Boin ewes and lambs should never be caught by the bind leg?, unless they arc handled with extreme care. When sheep are handled roughly,* especially if their woe-' 1