Sheep management; a handbook for the shepherd and student

Preface

There are several books on sheep husbandry written by good authorities on the subject which have been of great aid to flockmasters. Sheep raisers do not take time, as a rule, to read lengthy books and this handbook has been prepared to serve as a brief guide to sheep management. It treats only of the practical problems of the care and management of the flock which every shepherd engaged in the business has to confront.

Numerous inquiries from flockowners from many sections of the country for information relative to sheep husbandry and the troubles connected with the industry, the requests of many friends and students, and especially the urgent requests of Dean Henry and later of Dean Russell, both of the College of Agriculture of the University of Wisconsin, have induced the author to prepare this book. Judging from many letters received, not only the beginners with sheep, but also some of the more experienced men, often have many difficulties. This little book, written in common, every-day language, will perhaps serve to assist those in need of help, and also be an aid in the further improvement of our domestic sheep. The writer feels iv Sheep Management.

deeply indebted to Messrs. F. B. Morrison and J. C. Marquis for their assistance in the preparation of this work, and also to the American Sheep Breeder for furnishing some of the photographs of prize winners at the International of 1910.

In this work the author has given his many years experience in sheep husbandry. From his early boyhood in his native land of Bavaria, Germany, he was in charge of the flock of Shropshires on his father's farm. In America he has had charge of the flock of the Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Wisconsin ever since April, 1890. While at this Station he has carried on many experiments with sheep which have furnished him with a fund of valuable information regarding many lines of sheep husbandry. From all this experience, the writer feels free to state that no one man knows everything concerning sheep. Entirely new problems occasionally arise which must be solved. However, one fact is always true. This is that good judgment, energy, kindness, and painstaking care are the keynotes to success in sheep husbandry. No person who treats his sheep like scavengers, giving them little or no attention, not furnishing them half enough to eat, and even depriving them of a drink of fresh water, can ever expect to derive any pleasure or profit from sheep husbandry. For such a man the sheep

Preface. v

will never prove to be the "Golden Hoof." No rough, brutal person possessing a violent temper and lacking self-control should ever undertake to raise or care for a flock, as such actions are entirely foreign to the innocent, peaceful nature of the sheep.

Contents

PAGE.

Preface in

List of Illustrations xi

Introduction

The Shepherd and His Galling xv

CHAPTER I. Establishing the Flock

Value of Sheep on the Farm — Small Flock for Beginners — Scrub Ram Unprofitable — Selection of Ram — Age of Ram to Use — Care of Ram in Summer — Ram in the Fall — Number of Ewes to One Ram — Feed for Ram — The Ram in Winter — The Ewe Flock 1

CHAPTER II. General Management of the Flock

The Handling of Sheep — Catching Sheep — Leading Sheep — Carrying Small Sheep or Lambs — Setting a Heavy Sheep on its Rump — Sore Teeth — Age of Sheep 19

CHAPTER III. Winter Care and Feeding

Winter Grain for Ewe Flock — Amount of Grain to be Fed — Succulent Feeds — Roughage — Winter Quarters — Lambing Pens — Exercise — Gestation Period viii Sheep Management.

of Ewes — Lambing Time — Ewes With Twins and Triplets — Ewes With Single Lambs — Lambs Born Weak — Reviving the Almost Lifeless Lamb — Chilled Lambs — Adopted Lambs — Newly Lambed Ewes — Feeding the Ewe After Lambing — Caked Udders — Sore Teats — Tagging the Ewes 33

CHAPTER IV. Rearing the Lambs

The Lamb Creep — Grain Ration — Cow's Milk for Lambs — Raising Lambs by Hand — Marking the Lambs — Castrating the Lambs — Methods of Castration — Docking the Lambs — Weaning the Lambs — Care of Lambs After Weaning — Care of the Ewe After Weaning 61

CHAPTER V. Shearing and Dipping the Flock

Shearing Sheep — Tying Up the Fleece — Shearing Ewes Before or After Lambing — Trimming the Feet 89

CHAPTER VI. Prevention and Treatment oe Parasites

Stomach Worms — Symptoms — Prevention — Treatment — Size of Dose — Drenching Sheep — Sheep With Grub in the Head — -Prevention — Bloat in Sheep — Remedy for Bloat — Medicines Helpful to the Flockmaster — Colic or Stretches — Wethers With Sore Sheath — Maggots — Cause — Prevention — Treatment 105

Contents. ix

CHAPTER VII. Summer Feeding and Care

Sugar Beets and Mangels Dangerous for Rams and Wethers — Flushing the Ewes — Culling the Ewe Flock — Culling the Lamb Flock — Care at Breeding Time — Necessity of Salt — Burdocks and Sandburs — Dangers of Dead Furrows 131

CHAPTER VIII. Feeding Sheep for Market

Age of Sheep to Feed — Selection of Feeders — Principles of Feeding — Little Exercise for Fattening Sheep — Hand Feeding or Self Feeders — Shelter — Grain — Roughages — Succulent Feeds — Rape Feeding Previous to Fattening — Best Time to Market — How to Feed Before Shipping — Winter Lambs — Care of Dorset Ewes — Feeding Winter Lambs 145

CHAPTER IX. Fitting Sheep for the Show Ring

Classes of Show Sheep — Selecting for the Breeding Class — Shearing Sheep for the Breeding Classes — Proper Time to Start Fitting — Feed for Show Lambs — Feed for Older Sheep — Trimming Show Sheep — A Help in Sheep Trimming — Coloring Sheep — Blanketing Sheep — Training Sheep for Shows — Shelter for Show Sheep — Trimming Feet of Show Sheep — Reducing Sheep After Fairs 177 x Sheep Management.

CHAPTER X. Fitting Wethers for Shows

Selection of Wethers — Shearing Wethers — Age to Show Wethers — Best Glass to Fit — Feeding Wethers — Best Grain Mixture to Feed — Fitting Yearling Wethers — Fitting Wether Lambs — Symptoms of Founder — Remedy for Founder — Trimming Wether Lambs — Selecting Block Winners — Judging Sheep at Fairs 197

Index 221

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Plate Page

1 Group of yearling wethers Frontispiece

2 Sheep on Campus, University of Wisconsin 3

3 Montana ewes and their lambs 6

4 Pure bred Southdown ram 8

5 Champion Shropshire yearling ram and ewe lamb 12

6 Champion Shropshire flock 14

7 The wrong and the right way to catch a sheep __ 20

8 The wrong and the right way to lead a sheep __ 22

9 Carrying a lamb or a small sheep 24

10 Setting a heavy sheep on its rump 26

11 Examining the teeth of a sheep 27

12 The different ages of sheep, as shown by the

front teeth 28

13 Parting a sheep's lips to determine the age 30

14 Champion Oxford ram and ewe 38

15 First prize Hampshire ram and ewe lamb 42

16 First prize flock of Southdowns 46

17 Assisting the ewe in lambing 54

18 Flushing out the ewe after lambing 56

19 Three-months-old twin Shropshire lambs 62

20 Lamb creep and feed troughs in sheep barn 66

21 Grain trough for lambs 67

22 Feed trough for hay and grain 67

23 Feeding lambs from a bottle 70

24 Marking the lamb with the Dana ear label 73

25 Castrating the lamb 76

26 How a lamb is docked with hot pinchers 78

27 How to hold a lamb for docking 81 xii Sheep Management.

Plate Page

28 Milking a ewe with two hands 85

29 Dipping sheep 88

30 Shearing sheep with a shearing machine 92

31 An unusually heavy fleece 95

32 Trimming the hoof with a jack knife 101

33 Pruning knife, or clippers, for trimming feet 102

34 First prize Cheviot ram lamb 104

35 Flock of Cheviot ewes 104

30 Drenching bottle 112

37 Drenching a large sheep 113

38 Drenching a small sheep 114

39 Champion Cotswold ram 118

40 First prize Lincoln ram and ewe lamb 122

41 First prize Leicester ram and ewe lamb 126

42 Champion Rambouillet ram and ewe 132

43 Group of yearling wethers 138

44 First prize pure-bred Shropshire wether lambs _ 142

45 First prize pen of grade Shropshire wether

lambs 152

46 Second prize pure-bred Shropshire yearling

wether 156

47 First prize pen of grade Shropshire yearling

wethers 162

48 First prize Dorset ram and ewe lamb 168

49 Grade Dorset ewes and their lambs 170

50 First prize pen of grade Shropshire wether

lambs 176

51 Champion grade Shropshire yearling wether 179

52 Champion pure-bred Cheviot yearling wether,

before and after trimming 188

53 Champion pure-bred Oxford yearling wether, be-

fore and after trimming 190

List of Illustrations. xm

Plate Page

54 Champion grade Shropshire yearling wether 198

55 Champion pure-bred Hampshire yearling wether 201 50 Pair of Southdown yearling wethers 205

57 Champion pure-bred Southdown yearling wether 208

58 Grand champion pure-bred Southdown yearling

wether 212

59 Champion pure-bred Cheviot yearling wether. _ 215

60 The shepherd's trophy 218

INTRODUCTION THE SHEPHERD AND HIS GALLING.

The young man with a born love for sheep is the one, as a rule, who will strive in his younger years either to find employment with some flockowner, or perhaps to engage for himself in sheep husbandry. He likes sheep, he likes to feed and take care of them. Such men, when they have learned the details connected with the business, are those who achieve the best results.

It makes no difference what breed of sheep a shepherd handles; to be successful he must practice the secrets which are the keynote to success if steadily followed, or on the other hand, which when slighted, lead to certain failure in the business. Let me mention a few of these secrets :

1. The shepherd must be kind at all times to every member of his flock.

2. He must practice cleanliness, which means to keep feed troughs clean and sweet and not let them become filthy with manure, thereby causing a disagreeable odor.

3. He must be punctual, which means to keep regular feeding hours.

xvi Sheep Management.

4. He must use good, sound judgment in the every-day work.

5. He must feed liberally and not hold the wrong idea that sheep can live on little or nothing.

Wherever these few points are constantly observed and practiced, there need be no fear that misfortunes will come to the flock. Most of the failures in sheep husbandry may be attributed directly to carelessness and negligence on the part of the shepherd, for no breed of sheep will do well under the management of a shiftless shepherd. A disinterested shepherd who has no interest in the welfare of his flock is just as bad as dogs that get among the flock and destroy them. Many times a shepherd does not think and does not use a little common horse sense, and then attributes everything that has gone wrong to bad luck. When we see a poor flock we generally find a poor shepherd back of it.

Many shepherds would be benefited if they could take a trip to England and learn from the successful shepherds of that country how they handle their flocks, and after studying their methods of raising sheep, on their way back, could go through Canada and especially through Ontario and see how our Canadian friends conduct the business. While once in a while unfavorable conditions and environment may bring about trouble, in the ma-

The Shepherd and His Calling. xvn

jority of cases the fault lies with the shepherd himself and is so often wrongly called "bad luck." If the shepherd does not care to handle his flock of breeding ewes during winter in such a manner as to assure the largest percentage of lambs, and is not willing to sit up part of the night during lambing time, he is not worth having around the flock. The shepherd must really feel proud of his success and must feel ashamed of things which have gone wrong through his fault. The best shepherds of today are not conceited over their success, but feel that there is still a little more to be learned. If a shepherd cannot at any time agree with his employer he will never take the best interest in his flock. A shepherd who walks through the sheepfold without the necessary sharpness to detect an ill sheep in the flock is by no means the right kind of a shepherd. Another one that sees an ailing sheep, but has not energy enough to care for it at once, is just as bad or worse than the first man mentioned.

When a man does not mind the bleat of a sheep or lamb that wants more feed, salt, or water, he has not the true spirit of a shepherd. Neither is he worthy of the name of shepherd if he does not do at once those things which should be attended to, but says he will do them tomorrow or some other time. The man who is not aware of the xvm Sheep Management.

danger of sheep becoming infested with maggots during hot weather and fly time, when some poor innocent sheep may be eaten alive by these pests, must certainly be a very poor shepherd or flockmaster. Another who does not dip his sheep and lets ticks or lice constantly annoy and feed on them is just as cruel to his flock as the one who starves his sheep to death. If a shepherd likes to be away from his flock as much as possible he is not the one who has the thrift and welfare of it at heart; such a man had better engage in some other line of work.

Is it not good practice to go through the pasture once a day, where the sheep are grazing, to see whether a fine broad-backed ewe has not turned over on her back, with her four legs up, in a little depression in the ground, where she will die if she is not freed from this position? The shepherd who does not care about the loss of a sheep or lamb should no longer have charge of the flock. The men that do not see the importance of keeping their sheep out of cold rains and storms in late fall, winter, and early spring often have to suffer the loss of one or more members of their flock. The shepherd who has not learned the necessity of keeping the hoofs of his flock in proper trim and shape will cause much trouble in his flock and will reduce his profits. If he is not careful to avoid

The Shepherd and His Calling. ixx

feeding moldy and spoiled feed of any kind to his flock, he is not a true shepherd; neither is the man who feeds frozen roots or frozen corn silage, both of which often prove fatal. Whoever believes that the best results can be obtained by merely looking at a flock, and does not go to work, is badly mistaken.

If the shepherd does not supply his flock with fresh, pure water every day in the year, but shares the opinion of quite a number of men that sheep need little or no water, he should learn as early as possible that sheep require water just as well as any other farm animal. Where the flock is allowed to drink from old stagnant water pools, the shepherd runs the risk of having his flock infested with all sorts of parasites. Failure to rub pine tar on the sheeps' noses during fly time, or to supply this in the salt trough, as is recommended elsewhere in this book, may result in the flock becoming infested with grub in the head. No shepherd can have the best results in sheep husbandry without providing some succulent feeds, such as roots, cabbage, or good, sweet corn silage, for his flock during the winter months.

The shepherd who is not aware of the serious danger of narrow doors in the sheep barn, which result in broken-down hips, pregnant ewes being induced to drop their lambs before they are due, xx Sheep Management.

and young lambs getting squeezed, trampled down, and killed in the rush by the older sheep, and who does nothing to prevent this evil, lacks good judgment, and is responsible for any loss incurred in this way. If a shepherd fits sheep and goes into the show ring simply to be there among the other shepherds to keep them company, and if he is not possessed with the strongest desire to win the best prizes offered, he had better stay at home and save money for his employer.

To make a long story short, a good faithful shepherd looks to every detail of his work, and has his mind, heart, and soul with his flock at all times. He leaves nothing undone which promotes the thrift and welfare of each individual sheep. He likes to talk with other successful shepherds about sheep and tries to learn the better methods. He is loyal to his employer, and works for his best interest and largest profit. His happiest hours are spent among his flock, watching young lambs grow and old ones do well. Some of the greatest men in the Old Testament were true, faithful shepherds.

Chapter I. Establishing The Flock

THE VALUE OF SHEEP ON THE FARM.

It is generally known that, when properly managed, sheep are most profitable animals on the farm. They do not require nearly so much labor as other farm animals, especially in the summer, when the farmer is the busiest, cultivating, haying, and harvesting. Another advantage is that no expensive building is necessary for properly sheltering and housing them. Likewise the outlay of capital needed to start a flock of sheep is small compared with that required for other stock. With good prices for wool, a breeding ewe will pay for her maintenance during the year with her fleece, and will raise one or two lambs, or perhaps even three, which are net profit to the owner. With the steadily increasing demand for good mutton and the good prices paid for the same, it can easily be seen that sheep husbandry pays well, if handled in the right way.

Sheep are economical producers, and require less feed for the production of a pound of gain than the average for other classes of live stock. They have no equals as weed destroyers, for they eat nearly all of the numerous weeds and grasses which grow on the farm. The manure from sheep is worth much more per ton as fertilizer than that of any other class of farm animals except poultry. Moreover, when on pasture, sheep spread their manure more evenly than other stock. Indeed, no spreader has as yet been invented that does such perfect work as the sheep themselves. These animals never impoverish the land upon which they tread, but on the contrary build it up and improve it. For this reason the sheep is called the "Golden Hoof."

In pointing out the advantages of sheep husbandry it is not the writer's intention to urge farmers to give up all other classes of farm animals and stock up with sheep, but he wishes simply to emphasize the idea that at least a few sheep can very profitably be kept on almost all farms which are located on dry land. Sheep, however, will not thrive on marshy land.

A SMALL FLOCK FOR BEGINNERS.

It would not be wise for anyone not thoroughly familiar with sheep husbandry to start in with a large flock, for many troubles and obstacles arise which have to be overcome, and the remedies must be learned by practical experience, as all of them cannot be found in books. Many people who

Establishing the Finely. 3

started in the business too heavily have made a failure of it, and consequently have been compelled to drop the undertaking. The proper procedure is to start in with a small flock and gradually increase the number, as one's knowledge of the care and management of sheep enlarges.

Plate 2. Part of the University of Wisconsin flock on the campus near Agricultural Hall, right after shearing.

One of the greatest drawbacks to sheep husbandry in many sections of the country at the present time is the dog problem. It is to be hoped, however, that in every state of our country laws will be enacted similar to the laws of some states, which will do away with many of the worthless mongrel curs that cause enormous damage by killing sheep, and have frightened many small flockowners out of the business.

THE SCRUB RAM UNPROFITABLE.

Flockmasters should avoid the practice of using the grade or scrub ram, for wherever such a ram is used no improvement in the offspring can be expected. Indeed, in many cases the vitality, conformation, and strength of a flock is reduced by using an inferior grade or scrub ram for breeding. Therefore, the scrub ram, like the scrub stallion, must be driven out of the country, and more scientific and intelligent breeding must be followed if present conditions are to be improved.

It is shameful that there are so many flocks of inferior breeding and quality throughout nearly all parts of our country. Flocks of this type demand more feed and care than flocks of good breeding. Moreover, does not rearing good stock afford the farmer much greater pleasure and more encouragement than raising the inferior class commonly called "scrubs"? Does he not also know that high grade animals will return far greater profit than scrubs? The writer has spent many of the happiest hours in his life in taking care of high class animals, but he would have found no pleasure in caring for inferior ones.

It is thus evident that flockmasters should in all cases use a pure-bred ram. Not every one of these, however, is a good individual, although he may have a pedigree to his credit. Some registered rams are very inferior in type and conformation, and will not make any improvement in a tlock. Breeders would improve the sheep industry if they would use the knife, and castrate all inferior buck lambs and sell them for mutton, as such rams do not uplift sheep breeding, but on the other hand degrade it.

THE SELECTION OF THE RAM.

It has been demonstrated that the ram is half, or as some breeders say, even more than half of the flock. The writer fully agrees with this statement, as he has often observed surprisingly good results from using a first-class sire on the most common kind of females. It is doubtful whether in any other line of animal breeding such rapid improvement can be accomplished by the use of good sires as in the case of sheep breeding. The best sires are none too good.

The first illustration in Plate 3 shows four Montana ewes bought on the range some years ago for $2.25 per head. These ewes were very thin when purchased and were just "sheep," for they showed no evidence of belonging to any particular breed. By the use of a pure-bred Southdown ram, such as is shown in Plate 4, the seven fine, well-built lambs were raised in one season from the four ewes. One of these lambs was good enough to win the second prize at the International in a class

Plate 3. (a) Four Montana ewes bought on the range for .$2.25 per head, lb) Seven lambs raised from these ewes in one season. Their sire was a pure-bred.

where 38 lambs were shown. These lambs show in a striking manner what great improvement can be made by the use of a good sire on the most inferior females.

When selecting a breeding ram of a mutton breed, one should know and bear in mind the ideal of a well-built ram, possessing the right type, so as to be able at once to distinguish the good ram from the inferior one. The points of a good ram are as follows: He should possess lots of vigor and vitality, which is indicated by a short, broad head, large nostrils, bold eyes, breadth on the ball or top of the head, a short, thick neck, a wide and deep chest, broad, level shoulders — smooth on top, and a well-developed forearm. His forelegs should be straight and short, and set well apart. He should be broad and deep in the heart girth, which insures good constitution. A broad, straight back, with well-sprung ribs, is very essential. A smooth, wide, and thick loin adds greatly to the value of a sire. He should also have a long, level, and wide rump, with a full, deep twist. His hind legs, like his forelegs, should be short, straight, and wide apart, and the flank should be thick and low, forming a straight side line as well as a straight underline. The skin should be of a pink color, and the fleece long, fine, and dense, depending, of course, upon the particular breed to which he belongs.

Style and carriage are other strong points in a good rain. The fact that rams of nearly all the middle and long wool breeds should be free from

Plate 4. Pure-bred Southdown ram, held by Frank Kleinheinz, Jr. Such a ram as this was the sire of the seven lambs shown in Plate 3.

horns, stubs, or scnrs, should not be overlooked. Dorsets and Cheviots are exempt from this rule. The ram should show masculinity in his head and have strong bone.

Heavily fitted show rams have often failed to be breeders, or if they did breed, they produced small, weak lambs. Flockmasters are, therefore, warned not to purchase these too heavily fitted or "overdone" rams. A good, so-called "field" ram, in proper condition, generally gives the best results in breeding.

THE AGE OF THE RAM TO USE.

A ram of the middle and long wool breeds is sufficiently developed and fit for service at the age of one and one-half years, being then called a "yearling." While it is common among breeders to buy yearling rams for service, it may be of interest to flockmasters to know that it has been found here at the Wisconsin Experiment Station, where every lamb is weighed at birth, that lambs sired by rams which were older than yearlings are heavier, on an average, than those from yearlings.

Sheep breeders very often make a mistake by using a ram lamb for breeding. Such a practice is detrimental to their own interests and profit. A sheep makes its most growth the first year of its life; and hence it can readily be seen that when a lamb, only about six to eight months old, is bred to a lot of ewes, its own development is very much hindered. Ram lambs, when heavily used, have often proved to be non-breeders afterwards.

Therefore, the up-to-date sheep breeder never uses ram lambs for breeding, or at least only in rare cases. For instance, a breeder buys an exceedingly good ram lamb for a high price, which he intends to use as a yearling in his flock, and he may be very anxious to see the offspring from it. In such a case, it might be allowable to breed this ram lamb to three or perhaps even five ewes, but, of course, it would be better if the lamb is not used at all. The reason why so many ram lambs are used for breeding is that farmers can purchase a lamb a little cheaper than a yearling, but the few extra dollars saved in the purchase price are doubly lost at the other end. In the writer's opinion it is far better to buy a yearling ram instead of a lamb, because the yearling has nearly reached full development and with proper care will not change his form. In the case of the lamb, however, its future development cannot in all cases be correctly predicted, as lambs often change markedly in conformation. Indeed, the best of lambs have often turned out to be poor yearlings.

THE CARE OF THE RAM IN SUMMER.

To let the ram run with the flock during the summer and fall is not the best practice. The ram is more or less restless when in company with breeding ewes, and ewes often become pregnant and give birth to lambs at times when it is not desirable to have them come. It is a much better plan to keep the ram isolated from the flock. He can be turned into a paddock or small field where he will find enough grass to keep him in good condition. It is important that the ram have shade and fresh water where he is kept in summer, and salt is also another requisite for him. Towards fall when the weather gets colder and chilling rains frequently make it unpleasant, the ram should be housed during the night at least, for many valuable breeding rams have become stiff and rheumatic at this season, disabling them at the time needed for service, and ruining them for life.

THE RAM IN THE FALL.

It is customary to turn the ram with the flock of ewes when breeding is to begin. Although this plan is permissible, a more satisfactory method, where time will permit, is to follow what is termed "hand coupling." In hand coupling the flock of ewes to be bred to one ram is brought each morning to an enclosure where the ram is turned with them. The shepherd watches the ram closely, and as soon as any ewe has had one service she is turned out of the enclosure, so that the ram will pay attention to other ewes in heat. It is not advisable to allow the ram to breed more than three