SF 376 .K6 'Opy 1 j^ HOW TO HANDLE #^OFIT yT word aboui SCOTCH SHEEP FEEDING Published by Clay, Robinson &Co. Live Stock Commission HOW TO HANDLE SHEEP FOR PROFIT By Frank Kleinheinz Shepherd and Instructor in Sheep Husbandry AT University of Wisconsin Author of "Sheep Management" A WORD ABOUT SCOTCH SHEEP FEEDING By John Clay PUBLISHED BY CLAY, ROBINSON & COMPANY no ^x; Copyright 1913 Clay. Robinson & C( OtC 24 \'Vi3 .,11, 1, 1,1 1, „l, MIIIIIIUIIIIIIII Mllllllllllllf Mllllll inillll IIIIJ|I£ I HOW TO HANDLE SHEEP I I FOR PROFIT I = , iiiiTiiiiiiiii nil I null iiiiniiiiiiii iiiiiiiiu ii mimiimii in F By Frank Kleinheinz ■jwiiiirwp 1 E OFTEN hear the proljlem discussed whether there is an}' money in sheep raising. Some claim that there is, and others that there is not. Those who say there is money in sheep are evidently of the kind who lo\e sheep and have studied their full value and have given them the ]5roi;)er care and their due share of feed. The others who say there is no money in sheep proljably do not pos- sess a liking for sheep and do not under- stand their proper care and management and perhaps are poor feeders. Sheep are valuable on the fann for many reasons. In the first place it does not require much capital to start in with sheei). They do not need such expensive bviildings to house them in. Furthennorc, in the keeping of sheep, the labor question is abolished in a large measure, as they require far less labor than other classes of live stock during s])ring, summer, and fall when the farmer is very busy with his outdoor work in the field. As weed destroyers, sheep have no equal. No one will deny that the droppings from sheep, sjjread so evenly o\-er the land on which they graze, are of far greater value tlian those of any other kind of hve stock. Is not the sheep so rightfully called "The Golden Hoof"? These words have their proper meaning. For the man who understands the business, there is a good profit in sheep raising. The sheep industry is bound to become more profitable, because sheep cannot be raised in such large numbers now on the western ranges as was done in the jjast, as these ranges are gradually being cut up into smaller farms, and also because the beef production is declining by years, while the population in this country is steadily increasing. Some may say that there is not much profit in sheep because the wool has gone down in price since [31 HOW TO H A N D I . !■: S H K J-. P FOR PROFIT the larilT lias been lakt'ii nil. 'I'his, of coursr, is IrvK' of llie slit'cp wliicli arc raist'd inainl\- for llK'ir wool, 1ml the muUon breeds do not siilTer imieh under this tariff, for nnUton should alwax's he the first eonsideration and wool only second as a l)y-])r()duct. Establishing a Flock It is unwise for an\-one who is not thoroui^liK- familiar with sheep husbandry to start in with a large flock and con- se(inentl\' make a failure of it. It is t'ar l)ettcr to start in with a small Hock and then graduall_\' increase the nmnber as one's knowledge- of the care and management enlarges. 1 w^ould suggest to those who wish to enter this work not to spend a large sum of money in buying pure-bred, high-jjriced shee]j as Icjng as at o\ir leading markets some young, fairly good ewes can be bought for reasonable ]jrices, which can be graded u]) with a sire of one of the leading nuitton breeds. The Selection of the Ram Many bad mistakes are made by flockmasters in the selection of a ram for the ewe flock. An old and true saying is that the ram is half the flock, and this fact should be deeply impressed upon the mind of every sheep breeder in the country, if shee]) husbandry is to be raised t(T a higher standard than it is today. The first step toward improvement is the use of a first class sire. The best ram is none too good for the flock. As long as breeders are satisfied to use an inferior scrub ram, they cannot expect to impro\'e their flocks. Many breeders, h(jwe\'er, have the wrong idea that as long as their ew^s are bred to any kind of a rain, everything is done well, but this is a serious mistake on their part. Like begets like, and what kind of a lamlj crop can be exijccted from ewes bred to a scrub ram, with a narrow V)ody, a long, slim neck, a narrow chest, and long legs? Lambs from ewes bred by this kind of a sire cannot be fed as economically as those which come from the right kind of a sire, and consequently will not develop like the low, broad, blocky lamb which is so desirable on the mar- ket. There is a notable dift'erence in the price paid on the market for these two kinds of lambs. No mistake can be made by the use of a good sire, and far more profit is insured than by the use of a scrub ram. Select a ram with a broad head, showing masculinity; a thick, short neck wdthout any depression between shoulder and neck, and a broad, deep 141 HOW TO HANDLE SHEEP FOR PROFIT chest. He should be broad and smooth on top of the shoul- ders and have a well-developed foreann. His legs should be short and set well apart. He should be broad, deep and full in the heart girth, which indicates a strong constitution. It is essential that the ram have a broad, straight back with well sprung ribs and wide and thick loins. A long and wide rump with a full deep twist is very desirable. He should be well filled in the flank with a straight underline. His fleece should be dense. t^ i i i i It should be remem- beredV^that fift>' to fifty-five ewes should be the limit for any ram to Ijreed in one season. On the ranges thirty- five fo fort\' ewes are enough for one ram. A ram lamb should not l)c used for heav>- service at any rate. As lo tlic lime when to breed tht' ewes, this lies en- tirely with tlu' llockmaster, as lie must know what he intends to do with his lambs, lie wants to turn them oft" on an early summer or whether he intends to keep them over and fatten them the following winter. If it is his idea to strike the early market, he should turn the ram with the flock between September 15th and October 1st. If he intends to follow the other method of fattening his lanii)s in the fall and winter time, he does not need to breed his ewes until about November 1st to 15th, or somewhere about that time. 'A Giiod Ram wlielhci market *A Poor Ram Culling the Ewe Flock In the fall of the year the ewe flock should Ix- looked over antl those ew'cs which ha\'e not proved to be good |)roducers, should be culled out, fattened and sold. Also ewes with broken mouths should be drafted *NoTE— The two rams shown above are of the same breed. |51 HOW TO HANDLE SHEEP FOR PROFIT the larilT has been taken off. Tliis, of course, is true of the sheep wiiieh are raised inainl\' for llieir wool, Init tlie mutton breeds do not suffer mueli tmder this tariff, for muttcjii should alwax's be the first consideration and wool onl\- second as a l)_\"-])r()duct. Establishing a Flock It is unwist' for anxone who is not thoroughly familiar with slice]) husbandry lo start in with a large flock and con- seciuenll\- make a faihu\' of it. It is far better to start in with a small flock and then gradually increase the number as one's knowledge of the care and management enlarges. I would suggest to those who wish lo enter this work not to spend a large sum of monex' in buxing pure-bred, high-])riced sheep as long as at our leading markets some young, fairly good ewes can l)e bought for reasonable prices, which can be graded up with a sire of one of the leading mutton breeds. The Selection of the Ram Man\- l)ad mistakes are made by flockmasters in the selection oi a ram for the ewe flock. An old and true saying is that the ram is half the flock, and this fact should be deeply impressed ui)on the mind of every sheep breeder in the country, if shcej) huslKindry is to be raised to a higher standard than it is today. The first step toward improx'cment is the use of a first class sire. The l:)est ram is none too good for the flock. As long as l)reeders are satisfied to use an inferior scrub ram, they cannot expect to iinprove their flocks. Many breeders, however, have the wrong idea that as long as their ewes are bred to any kind of a ram, everything is done well, bvit this is a serious mistake on their part. Like begets like, and what kind of a lamb crop can be ex])ccted from ewes bred to a scrub ram, with a narrow body, a long, slim neck, a narrow chest, and long legs? Lambs from ewes bred Ijy this kind of a sire cannot be fed as econoinically as those which come from the right kind of a sire, and consequently will not develop like the low, l)roa(l, blocky lamb which is so desirable on the mar- ket. There is a notable difference in the price paid on the market for these two kinds of laml)S. No mistake can be made l)y the use of a good sire, and far more profit is insured than by the use of a scrub ram. vSelect a ram with a broad head, showing masculinit}' ; a thick, short neck without any depression between shoulder and neck, and a broad, deep [41 HOW TO HANDLE SHEEP FOR PROFIT chest. He should Ije broad and smooth on top of the shotil- ders and have a well-developed forearm. His legs should be short and set well apart. He should l)e broad, deep and lull in the heart girth, which indicates a strong constitution. It is essential that the ram have a broad, straight back with well sprung ribs and wide and thick loins. A long and wide rump with a full deep twist is very desirable. He should l^c well filled in the flank with a straight underline. His fleece should be dense. j,^ should be remem- bered'-that fifty to fifty-five ewes should be the limit for an\' ram to breed in one seas( )n. (.)n the ranges thirty- five to forty ewes are enough for one ram. A ram lamb should not Ijc used for heavy serx'ice at any rate. As to the time when to l:)reed the ewes, this lies en- tirely with the flockmaster, as he must know what he intends to do with his lambs, turn them off on an early summer to keep them over and whelhei market he or ■'A Good Ram wants to whether he If it is his idea to strike intends fatten them the following winter, the earh- market, he should turn the ram with the flock between Sci)tember loth and October 1st. If he intends to follow the other method of fattening his lami)S in the fall and winter time, he does not need to forced his ewes until al)OUt Novemljcr 1st to 15th, or somewhere al:)Out that time. Culling the Ewe Flock In the fall of the vear the ewe flock should be looked over and those ewes which have not proved to be good producers, should be culled out, fattened and sold. Also ewes with broken mouths should be dratted *NoTE-The two rams shown above are of the same breed. *A Poor Ram HOW TO HANDl K S H F. i: P FOR PROFIT out, faUciK'd as much as possible, and sold to the butcher. In place of these, the best ewe lambs from the pre\-ious lamb crop should be added to the flock. The Breeding Flock in Winter Sheep will thrive and do well on the grains and rough- age grown on the average farm. If the flock goes into winter quarters in good condition, not a great deal of grain feeding is necessary. Where good clover or alfalfa hay is fed with perhaps a small amount of good corn silage in addition, say about two pounds per day per ewe, no grain is necessary at all until about a month previous to lambing, when it becomes essential to feed some grain in order to stimulate a good milk flow. As sheep like change in feed, some good bright corn stover, and nice, fine, bright oat straw will be appreciated Ijy them. By all means, fellow flockmasters, be sure and give your breeding ewes all possible exercise in the winter time, as this will add greatly to the health, vigor, and strength of the lambs when they are born. Outdoor exercise on all bright days is an essential factor which should alwa}'S be borne in mind. On all cold. Stormy days, keep them under cover, if you can. This, of course, does not include the sheep on the ranges which never go under shelter all winter long. Have your shed or barn well ventilated and bedded when the sheep are in it, and supply your sheep with plenty of fresh water at all times. Gestation Period It is perhaps well to mention here, for the benefit of those who have had no experience with sheep, something about the gestation period. At the Wisconsin College where careful records have been kept of the date of breeding and lambing of each ewe, it has been found that ainong the middle and long wool breeds of sheep the average gestation period was 147 days. The fine wool breeds range from 150 to 154 days. Lambing Time There is perhaps no other time in the }'ear when the flockmaster should be so closely connected with his flock and give them such careful attention as at lambing time. A great deal of his success in the percentage of lambs raised depends in a large measure upon the care he gives his lambing ewes (61 HOW TO HANDLE SHEEP FOR PROFIT and new born lambs. At this time some of the ewes need assistance in lambing, and like the ewes, some of the lambs also need the shepherd's help in getting a start. The flock- owner who is in earnest, will devote mucli of liis time during the day as well as during the night with his flock, for he knows that he can save old sheep as well as lambs by gi\'ing the proper attention to them, and this all means money and a larger profit for him. It is not a wise [)lan to leave the ewes which have lambed with the rest of the flock. It is far better if newly lambed ewes with their lamb or lambs are taken away from the main flock and put in separate enclosures, which will prevent a great deal of the so common trou]:)le of ewes disowning their lambs. If ewes lamb early before going out on grass, they may be fed more grain and corn silage than l^efore lambing, so as to furnish plent}- of milk to nurse the yoiuigstcrs well. In cases of twins and triplets it is advisable to put them to- gether later, and also i)ut those together with single lambs, as it is evident that the ewe which nurses two or three lambs needs more feed than the ewe with only one laml). Castrating and Docking Lambs Many flockowners in this cotmtry have not yet realized the importance of castrating and docking their lambs. When flockmastcrs who have neglected these operations in the past once become fully acquainted with the advantages and profits derived from having their lambs properly castrated and docked, they will soon get busy and jjerfonu this work. Any buck lamb which is not a pure-bred, should be castrated. A grade rain should in no event be used for breed- ing, as this method does not uplift breeding to a higher stand- ard, but on the contrary, lowers it. It would be a wise plan to castrate many of the inferior pure-bred lambs, as this also would be a great benefit to the sheep industry in America. When the flockowner intends to raise lambs which will bring him the largest returns from the capital invested in the busi- ness, he can, under no circumstances, afford to let his lambs go whole. Buck lambs grow all right and put on flesh for the first few months after birth, until the\^ ha\-e reached the age of three or four months, when they begin to get uneasy, as nature then stirs up their male functions. Now, at the very time when the lambs ought to get in the best condition, I7| HOW TO HAND I. F. SHEEP FOR PROFIT in order to l)rin'; the highest ])riee when put on the market, if not easlrated, they will then l)e,L;in to wear off flesh instead of ])uUin)L;- it on, 1)\- li,iihtin,i:; and ridinj^^ each other. In spite of the faet ihat tlu'\' nia\- ha\-e j^ood ])astnre and feed, the\' i^et thinner and eome to market in a very ])oor eondi- tion, while the eastrated lamb, on the other hand, mider the same eare and feed, at this time eomes to market in a plump, fat condition. Now, how does the i)riee ]jaid for ,e;(-)od, fleshy lambs eomi)are with that |)aid for thin buck lambs? The fonncr receive their full value and are in demand, while the latter are a dru<^ on the market on account of their thin con- dition and the stronjj;, undesirable taste of their ilcsh, due to the fact that the\' i)osscss their testicles at this a^^c. Buyers at our leading markets are fully aware of the disadvantages of such buck lambs, and hence the price paid for same is from $1.25 to as much as $2.00 or more less per hundred pounds than would hax'c Ijccn paid for them had they Ijccn castrated. If the above quoted difference in the i)rice paid for castrated and uncastrated laml)S is not sufficient to induce flockowners who have not used the knife on their lamlos in the past to do so in the future, then it is alisolutely useless to try to hell) them increase their profits from their sheep. Perhaps many flockowners are afraid t(3 tackle the task of castrating their lambs, but I will say to them that this is not a serious opera- tion at all. Like in all other work, however, the necessar\- ])reccuUions must lie taken. Lambs should lie castrated when they are yoimg. The best time i)erhai)s is when they are from a week to fifteen days old. The writer, in his experience, has always found that lambs that are castrated at this age mind the operation much less than when they have become older. A nice, bright day should be selected for this work, and not a cold, wet and damp day. The pen in which the flock is kept should be well bedded with clean, dry straw. The laml)S that are to be castrated should be separated from their mothers and partitioned ofl' in a narrow corner, to avoid chasing when l)eing caught. The operator should ha\'e his hands and sharp jack knife thor- oughly disinfected with a solution of carbolic acid, or an\' other suitable disinfectant, in warm water. With the attendant holding the lamb firmh' with its four legs against its body to avoid struggling, and also holding it firmly against his body above the knees, the operator cuts 18] HOW TO HANDLE SHEEP FOR PROFIT off one-third of the end of the bag, which leaves the end of the testicles exposed. They can then be drawn out, cord and all, with the fingers, or with a pair of pincers. The best and most ]3ractical way is for the operator to pull out the testicles with his teeth. This prevents the slipping of a testicle, which the lamb sometimes throws up into its body, causing sore- ness when it has to be worked down again by the operator's fingers. All fat and loose skin covering the testicles should be pushed back and left in the bag. After the removal of the testicles, a little of the warm disinfectant may be poured into the emi^ty bag to avoid any infection, and the lamb should then be gently lifted over the yjartition to its mother. i\fter the lambs are castrated, the fiock should not be dis- turbed in the least that day, so that the mothers will not run over the lambs which are lying down and hurt them in anv wav. Castrating The next operation that should not be neglected is dock- ing. Most of the iiockowners of the large ranges, who have what they call a general "round-up", castrate and dock their lambs at one time. In such cases where the idea is to save time and lal)or, this ma)- be pennitted, but small flockowners should not, in any case, follow the example of the ranchman. Performing both of these operations at one time gives the lambs a great shock, and weak lambs often succumb. From close observation, through many years of experience, the writer is fully convinced that it pays the small flockowncr well to perform two separate operations. [91 HOW TO HANDLE SHEEP FOR PROFIT Tlie benefits dcrixcd from dockinji; arc so many and so imjiorlanl tliat it is almost a crime to ncj^lcct it. There should not he a sinj^le shec]) in any flock with its tail left on. In the summer time the j^rass in the pastm'c is often very juicy, the sheep's bowels bt'comc a little soft, and a filthy mass of manure slathers on the tail, making not onh' a \'ery undesira- l)le ajjpearance, but forminij also an excellent lodgin.u; bed for maggots, worse so in females than in males. Docking pre- vents a great deal of maggot infection. Moreover, because their tails hax'c not been rcmox'ed, ewes often go l)arren, les- sening also I lie N'itality and \'igor of the breeding ram. Sheej) and lambs coming to market with their tails on bring from twenty-five cents to fifty cents less per hundred ])Ounds, according to the amoimt of tilth gathered on the tails. The oijcration is best jjcrfomied when the laml)S are from seven to fifteen days old. In the case of buck laml)S, a week's time should ela])se l)etween castrating and docking, in order that the laml) is nearly all healed before docking follows. Some shepherds use a chisel and mallet and choj) off the tails on a bk)ck n{ wood. Others use a shar].) knife. The newest, and in the writer's experience, the most satisfactory and safest method is the use of a pair of hot ])incers. There is, then, no danger of an excessive loss of blood, which often causes the death of laml:>s docked with the knife. The hot pincers sear over both blood arteries, thus preventing bleeding. By the use of hot pincers, if the work is properly done, the laml) does not lose a dro]) of l)lood. If when the tail is cut off with the Docking 110] HOW TO HANDLE SHEEP FOR PROFIT knife, it is noticed that the fleshier lamias are losinj^ too mueh blood, a piece of cord should be fastened as tightly as possible around the stub of the tail, close to the rump, and this will prevent further bleeding. The cord ma>- be removed after from eight to ten hours. These operations should be performed in the morning, so that tlie operator can watch the lamias. The writer knows of men who, having performed the operation by use of the knife in the evening, found some of their lambs dead the next morning, the cause being an excessive loss of blood. Had this operation been performed in the morning, the man in charge would have been able to watch the lambs during the day and so prevented the loss of Ijlood. In using a pair of hot pincers nothing need be feared, even though the healing process of the tail is somewhat slower than when the knife is used. When the knife is used, the operator has blood spattered all over himself, over other sheep, over partitions and barn, and all l^lood lost in this way must be restored again by feed, since it requires just so much to maintain the lamb. Rearing the Lamb for Early Market If lambs are to be reared for an early market, the feeder should commence to feed the lambs well just as soon as they begin to eat, which is at the age of about two weeks. A lamb creep put up in one end of the barn where the little fellows can get some extra grain and a little nice, fine clover or alfalfa hay, adds greatly to their early development and fitness for market. This extra grain feeding, if kept up, that is, if the lamb creep is moved with the lambs out into the pasture, has its great advantages. Lambs so fed are in much better condition than others and grow heavier and fleshier at an early age, so that they may be sold in May, June, or July, when lambs are usually scarce on the market and sell for high prices. Here probably is where the flockmasters in the south- em states have the advantage over northern sheepmen, because they have scarcely any winter and have green feed for their lambs most of the time during the winter season, and under these conditions they grow lambs heavy and fat enough to be put on the market in May and June, when they weigh about seventy-five pounds and bring big prices. There is no question that the largest profit comes from early lamb rais- ing. Even if lambs are held over for fall or winter feeding, it (HI now TO H\NDLE SHEEP FOR PROFIT has been lotind by exi)c'rinu'nl ihat lliosc lamlis (a] extra <^raiii from an early age made more and cheaper gains when put in the feed lot in the fall than others of the same lot not receiv- ing any grain. It was also learned that the small extra amount of grain fed more tlian doul)l_\' re]jaid its cost. Another ])oint in ])ushing the lambs along for an early market and highest jjrofit is to sow a pieee of rape just as soon as sowing can l)e done. It should be so arranged that this piece of ra])e, which will generally mature in from seven weeks' to two months' time, is near to the pasture where the sheep are kv]){. A little creep-hole can be ])ut in the fence so that the }'t)ungsters can crawl through and get some, but not the old sheep; or it ma\- Ix' cut and fed to the lambs. With the mothers' milk, ])asture, and this rape, and perhaps a little extra grain, the lambs will grow i)lump and fat and will command the highest jjrice on the market. This rape, if time pemiits, can be sown in drills, making it possible to grow more of it on an acre than when sown broadcast. When sown in this wa\', lambs will not waste much by tramping it down, and it can be cultivated to keep the weeds out. I cannot speak highly enough of the value of the rape plant for lamb and sheep feed- ing. If lambs are intended for fall or early winter market, another |)iece of rape may be sown not later than July 1st, which should Ijc ready to turn them on when they are weaned. In an experiment conducted at the Wisconsin College, rape pasture took the place of a pound of grain for each lamb daily, in comparison with another lot on grass pasture with one pound fi 1121 HOW TO HANDLE SHEEP FOR PROFIT of grain daily and no rape. In other words, one pound of grain was saved by each lamb daih% and the lambs on rape made just as much gain as the other lambs that received one pound of grain. It was further learned, when finishing both lots ofi in earlv winter, that the lambs that had received rape before winter feeding, did considerably better than the other lot not receiving rape before being put into the feed lot. Flockmasters who are acquainted with the value of rape, sow it with small grain or corn to pasture it off after the grain is harvested. From experiments and jjcrsonal observation I know that the rape plant is a \-ery cheap feed, is easily grown, and is a great l)romoter of growth and mutton production. Fattening Sheep or Lambs for Early Fall or Winter Market It is generally admitted among feeders that lambs bring more profit when put in the feed lot than older sheep, for the simple reason that it requires less pounds of feed to produce a pound of gain in lambs than in yearlings or still older sheep. The lamb in the feed lot is not only putting on flesh, but is at the same time growing in size, while the older sheep though spreading and developing more in width of body and also imtting on flesh, is actually not growing in size any more after it reaches the age of two years. Wherever practicable, it will ])ay the feeder to secure lambs for feeding, unless, of course, he can get yearlings or two-year-olds at a very low cost which will enable him to realize a good profit from his in\-estment. Fat lamljs are in greater demand on the market than older sheep, and are therefore generally considerably higher in price. In selecting feeders one ought to be very careful to get sound, healthy sheep, and not buy a lot that is probably in- fested with internal parasites, as stomach or tape worms, or with scab or foot rot. If the feeder is not watchful he will cut his profit down right at the beginning by losing some of the sheep which were unsound when bought. To feed in the most economical way, the feeder should consider which varieties of grain are cheapest to use, as varia- tions in prices of grain in many cases either increase the profit or lessen it. As an illustration the writer will refer to an ex- periment conducted several years ago at the Wisconsin Col- lege. In this instance, two lots of lambs were fed, one receiv- ini HOW TO HANOI. V. S H I-. I', I" I- OR PROFIT in_<4' .slicllcd corn, and other dried ])vv[ I'ldp. 'Vhv ])rice of corn al that time was $20 ])er ton, and ihc price of l)cet pulp .flG per ton. When the experiment was completed, it was found that the lambs fed on l)ceL pulp made about as much gain as thost' ic(] on the corn. Witli a large nimibcr of lambs or shcc]) icd on these two different rations, a saving of $4 ])cr ton would make quite an extra ])rolit. It has been i)roved that the feed- ing of good, sweet, corn silage to sheep or lambs for fattening them, in connection wdth hay and some grain, is of great profit, because it is a good feed and at the same time very cheap. A Good F"eeder A Poor Feeder The Principles of Feeding Not every man ntakes a good, profital)le, and economical sheep feeder. Good results in feeding depend largely on the judgment, management, and abilit\- of the feeder himself. It is not the careless, shiftless fellow who does not take pride in his work, and does the feeding only in order to earn his day's or month's wages, who is successful; nor is it the fellow wdio does not possess common judgment and wastes feed ; nor is it the one wdio feeds the shec]) in his care good and full at one meal and not enough at the next, w-hich results in what is tenned getting them "off feed", and often causes scouring, when sheep will lose in two or three days as much in live weight as they will put on again in the next two weeks. 114] HOW TO HANDLE SHEEP FOR PROFIT A feeder of sheep must have learned to praeliee eleanh- ness, as sheep, perhaps, are a Httle more partieular with re- gard to cleanhness in their feed than some other classes of live stock. He must keep the feed troughs clean and sweet and see to it that the ha\' and other roughage is clean and l^right, and that the grain has not Ijeen scratched over and soiled 1)\' chick- ens, or in any other way. Above all other things, to feed profitably, the feeder must be a person who practices gentleness when going to the sheep fold. Sheep like kind treatment, and repay it in a high de- gree. Punctuality is another factor which leads to highest profit. Hours of feeding must be strictly observed. It should not be done early one morning and late the next. A good feeder watches every animal in the flock closely, studies their appetites, and when an increase in feed is made, he will make it very gradually, so that the sheep do not even know when the increase takes place. While this is mostly meant for sheep and lambs fed for market, where heavy grain feeding is done, it must be remembered that in warm weather the feeder must use great care not to feed them as heavily on grain as he would in cool or cold w^eather. Sheep do not want as much grain in wanii as in cold weather, and if the same amount is fed, it upsets the whole work and results in loss of profit. Sheep naturally make their best gains in cold weather. A careful feeder will always see that his flock is kept free from ticks or lice. When these are found on sheep, the sheep should be dipped as they can make no gains when they are an- noyed day and night by these pests. Shelter also adds greatly to the welfare of sheep in severe weather. The watchful eye of the master in all these matters is what brings good results. 1151 A WORD ABOUT SCOTCH SHEEP FEEDING By JOHN CLAY A Typical Border Shepherd jiriiiniiiiiiiriiiiiiiMiiMiiiiirririiiiriiiiriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiii iiiiiiimiiiiiiiiririiiiMiiiii^ I A WORD ABOUT I i SCOTCH SHEEP FEEDING i niiiii iiiiiiiiiuiiiii I Mill I I mil Ml II II 1 1 1 1 1 1 III! iiiiiMiiiiiiii By John Clay ROM my earliest youth I have been a sheep feeder. As a boy the shepherds took me under their charge, — many a happy hour have I spent with them on lowland fann or moorland side. In Scotland the sheep are not housed or even yarded. They spend their all too short lives under the canopy of heaven. In spring and summer the green sod is beneath them ; in fall and winter on a lowland holding they are put on turnip fields and folded on them, a small portion given them every few days, divided oft" by string nets that are ingeniously hung on stakes driven by a wooden mell (l^ig hammer) into the ground. In winter days the turnii) is the axle around which the sheep feeder's life revolves. It is the foundation of his work, in fact, you can go further and say it is the foundation of Border Agri- culture, in which niy earh' training took place. The Vale of the Tweed is a wondrous land of romance. From its old reivers and warriors its folks have inherited man>- strong characteristics, — not the least among them an instinc- tive love of sheep. Much of the song and story of the neigh- borhood is twined round the gentle shepherd and his flock, the maiden stepping from her natal shieling over the purple heather or jumping deftly over a mountain burn. In glow- ing pictures both the poet and artist have told the story of simple lives spent in humble homes amid fields fenced by "the hawthorn hoar" or amid quiet glens where babbling 1)rook-s make the silence musical. One generation succeeds another. They are not serfs but they stick to the country, and back for years, far as legend carries us, there have been families of An- dersons, Tumbulls, Littles, Douglases, Whitlaws, Stobies, Scotts, Elliots, and men of that ilk, working out their des- tiny with Border flocks. 1191 SCOTCH SHEEP FEEDING In my early life we did not turn off many lambs. The fashion ran on bi*^ joints and we catered to it. The Scotch and North of England folks are called eonser\-ati\'e, and in many ways they are, Init in farminij matters they jjromptly meet conditions. Twccdsidc is an ideal place for the sheep industry. Down in the \'alleys of the main stream and its tributaries are rich lands with splendid nattn^al drainage, the basis of a success- ful sheep indtistry. Gradually \'Oit leave these low lands and rise u]), bench l)y bench, to the Cheviot and Lammermoor hills, to grey l)ent and piu"])le heather. Near the vicinity of the streams you see the Border Leicester sheep or high grades prevailing; on higher grounds, but mostly on arable land, the Leicester-Cheviot, known as the half-bred, finds a congenial home. Higher up, still on green hillsides, the graceful Cheviot makes its living, and last and most picturesque of all is the shy Blackface. As I write here at St. Joseph, Missouri, I see the panorama, — the deep, silent river, — the whistling plow- man, — the sheep grazing quietly, — and then further afield, up where the grass breaks into oceans of bracken, up still to the purple hillside, and there with springy stcj) you see the hill shepherd with a couple of collies at his heels sweeping the landscape with an eagle eye not missing a point. Hail him and you will find a gentle, shy sort of man, diffident and slow of speech, reticent, — but pierce the inner crust and you find a heart of gold. Come once again those glorious days when on Yeavcring Bell or b>' Che\'iot fell the whirring grouse and startled sheep get out of sight of the intnider and leave you alone amid the swelling hillsides and the deep gloomy valleys! (Jver sixty years ago my father took his first hill farm. He had a cosy place in the Merse of Berwickshire and, like his father before him, he added a hill place to his holdings. It was a lucky find, for it led on, with other additions, to hap- piness and affluence. The lowland fami was composed of heav\' clay, difficult to work, "a kittle place" as they say in Scot- land, but a great producer in favoraljle seasons. The hill farm produced two classes of shec]3. On its arable lands were Leicester-Cheviots whose nose had always to be close to the plow^ and often the cake trough. Blackfaces were on the up- land hirsel and their produce went straight to market, either as fat lambs or as feeders to be wintered in other parts of the country. The half-V)rcd wether lambs were transferred diu-- 1201 SCOTCH SHEEP FEEDING ing August to the low country farm. There the\' were put on foggage, red clover, alsike and timothy, being the mix- tvire of grasses, but the former prevailing. The method after they were fairly weaned was to winter them as cheaply as possible and still keep them thrifty as the class of wool they produced was very valuable in those days. They ran on the old grass fields and had an allowance of turnips and bran or a Ijite of linseed cake. The last two months of the winter, when they had lost their front teeth, thcY were fed cut turnii)s. The end of April they got on to the grass fields and were shorn in Ma>-. During the height of the grass they got no extra feed but whenever the grass sliow^d signs of failing the little troughs apix-ared and they ke])t improving right along on a feed of cake or grain. Late in the fall or early spring, ten or fifteen acres of land gener- ally contiguous to a favorite old grass field was sown in tares (vetches). About the tenth of August these were ready to cut. Never will I forget Archie Anderson, our shepherd, dead these manv years, cutting the tangled tares with an old- fashioned scythe. Then they were loaded into a long cart, driven to the grass field and tossed out to the flock. Thc>' followed the wagon like cattle after a ha>' rack on the ijrairie. We generally had about three hundred to three hundred fift>' of those wethers. l)ig, bony fellows with ears well set over their intelligent, liquid eyes. They were brought from the fields the\- had Ijcen grazing and were ciniccntrated in the [211 SCOTCH SHEEP FEEDING above, a pasltirc of about fifteen acres. What jo}- it was to drive the old horse and eart as Archie tossed the kw\ rij^dit and left, his doy.- lyinjj,- at the ,uate ever read\' lo answer wliistle or si,L(n frenii liis master. Dreamy days were those, leax'in.i; Ix'liiiid ihem mellow- memories, — the gentle slK'pliei'd, the floek dmnb but radiant with instinct, — the wise do^;, ihv tall hedi^e on the west side of the field, a boundary and a slielter in one, red with haws, winter fruit for thousands of wild birds,- awa_\' in the distance the old scjuare farm house redolent of our ancestors wIkj for generations had tilled many acres of the .surrounding country. After the flock had gotten its share of the tares the cake l)arrcl was tai^jied and about half to three-ciuarters of a poinid of concentrated food was jnit in the small trough for each animal. At this ])iece of work the dog was in evidence. As the shepherd poured the cake and corn from a sack into the above the shec]) were kept back by the Collie. If one of the expectant flock had the temerity to try to l)reak away and reach the daint\' food, the dog shot out like an arrow and turned him back to the bunch. Not a word from the sheji- herd, — he knew his dut_\' without being told. After eating, the Hock rested, scattered over the green field, niaking a scene of peace and plenty. As the season went on and the grass in the field was nibbled close more tares and more artificial food was doled out. About the tenth of October a few tiu'nips, roots and tojjs, were added. Then the day came when they were folded on the root field. The troughs went with them and for six weeks or two months they got i)ractically as much artihcial food as they could eat. It was a stuffing process. When they reached eighty or eighty-two pounds dressed my father sent for Joe Ruddick, the great Border dealer of those days, and they Ijargained for the stock. Ruddick came about two o'clock in the afternoon. They kjoked over the sheep for sale, ])robably took a glance at the cattle that had just been placed in sheds for the winter feeding, and then they went to the hcjuse for dinner at three o'clock. The bar- gaining began after dinner, at which se\'eral of the neighbors were present. After my mother left the table the port bottle went freely around and a good deal of gossip) was retailed. Later on the hot water jug came into action and hot toddy in big tuml:)lers was freely drunk. All the time the trading [221 SCOTCH SHEEP FEEDING went on. As a rule Ruddick had looked at some of the neigh- bors' stock, so he had to hold his own against three or four parties. As I recollect it always ended in a deal. Tea was served in the drawing room about six o'clock. Ruddick left shortly afterwards while the neighbors sat down at the whist table, played probably for a couple of hours, drank more toddy and left about ten o'clock. Halcvon days were these for the Scottish farmer, — the American Civil War had forced up prices, — the misfortunes of others, the horror of bloody battle fields, was enriching land- lord and tenant in the British Isles. I think it was in 1864 that the wool from the above sheep sold at sixty cents per pound. They probably produced from seven to eight pounds per head but at the former weight it meant $4.20 per sheep and as they went to the dealer at about $15 per head for mut- ton it meant an enomious return to the producer and feeder, and my father, wise in his generation, aUvays tried to follow up his wether sheep from the cradle to the grave. Our yearly draft of ewes went to England to produce another lamb crop. Nowadays it is all changed. Sir Walter Scott in tell- ing the story of the last of the Scottish minstrels, said: "The bigots of the iron time had call'd his harmless art a crime." It is change everywhere. The farmer of fifty years ago in Southern Scotland would be a freak in these days of modern methods. Like the minstrel, he has disappeai-ed. The sickle and the scythe are gone; the mower and self-binder take their place, and so the old-fashioned wether of stately proportions is a rara avis. Ask a butcher for a leg of an auld sheep, as they still term it, and you get a sigh from him, and then he answers, "Nay, nay, we never see them any more." The lamb that is born in March is taught to eat cake at his mother's side and when he is weaned he is carried for- ward towards maturity at lightning speed. By early Decem- ber the tops of the flock will dress sixty pounds and that is the W'Cight popular in these days. More than once I have stated that the husbandry of the Borderland, so far as the working of the soil is concerned, has deteriorated sadly, not because the farmers are less skillful, but labor becomes scarcer each year. The advance in machinery has helped a lot but it cannot overcome the want of hand labor necessary for root culture. But when you come to the live stock business, and more especially the handling of sheep, a tremendous advance 1231 SCOTCH S II F. E P F R E D I N G has l)cc'n made. Tlu'v turn ihcir sheep produel of the fann at half the a,i;e and at se\'enty-fi\'e ])er cent of the weijjjht. Tlie same slor_\- is told in onr stock yards in rej^^ard to yearling cattle. It is the small tidy cut that is ])o]nilar and the butcher of Britain, as well as in the United States, must cater to liis customers. After weanin.i;, the farmer, aided by his shepherd (and the latter is i;enerall_\- the l)i,u; asset in the management of the flock), must ])rovide i^ood aftemiath to start the kaml)S on their \va\- to market. vSome seasons are more favorabk' than others, but in a country where the rainfall is well divided the stockman has not mxieh trouble in this way. Artificial food is freely given and whenever the roots are ready for consump- tion they are turned on them. The laml) teeth can slice the white or >-ellow roots, bvit when they come to the swedes these ha\-e to be topped and tailed, ]jut in to heaps and the turnip cutter is in evidence. The sheep is an early riser and you must be ready at dawn to fill his boxes with sliced roots. Then at a certain hour, to the minute if possible, feed them their extra ration of cake or corn. The sheej) is a grand time- keeper. Away amid the silent hills and \'alleys where the wild foxes wander and the curlew screams, the Cheviots or Blackfaces spend their nights on the hill tops. At daylight they commence feeding slowly downwards. At noon they rest a little in the valley, generally by the banks of some stream, then as the sun crosses the yard arm they point their eyes once more upward. Nothing but a brewing storm will keep them from their onward march to the bare hill top. There is method in their life and they love inmctualit\', and whether it be on Scottish fanii or Colorado ranch you must feed \'our sheep to the minute to make a success of your business. Fur- ther still you must handle your young stock gently, with tact and love. As civility is the cheajjest thing in daily life noth- ing counts so much in ovine existence as gentle care mixed with oljservation. Watch their habits and cater to their wants. Another change has come. I know not whether for the better or worse. The fair ground where we used to meet and haggled over prices has disappeared. The shepherds would reach such places as St. Boswells Green or Melrose Moor the night ])revious to the fair day. Then at daylight the owner would a]jpear and as those Fairs were held in Juh' and August he probably spent most of the night reaching his stand, for that was (241 SCOTCH SHEEP FEEDING befoi-e the davs of distance-killin.i,^ motors, so as to reach his flock by four A. M. If it was a brisk trade he sold out early but many a day the owners stood till three P. M. under a hot sun, or again in a pouring rain. Today it is the auction mart. It opens about ten A. M., the farmer gets leisurely to the place of business, the auctioneer does the work and the owner has nothing to say but look wise and take his medi- cine. It is easier, ])Ossibl\- it is loetter, but the young fanner growing up under such conditions knows little of the value of his stock. He cannot cultivate self-reliance in pricing his product. In other words, his individuality is seriously im- paired. 125) Seven Million Sheep Handled During 1911 and 1912 by Clay, Robinson & Co. During the two years ending December 31, 1912, we handled (bought and sold) at all of our houses, a total of 6,949,639, or in round figures, seven million sheep and lambs. This is equivalent to an aver- age of practically Twelve Thousand Head Per Day for every business day the year around. The splendid selling service that built and which maintains this business is at the disposal of sheepmen con- signing to us at any of the ten markets shown on opposite page. LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 002 836 448 9 PRESS OF JAMES H. ROOK CO. CHICAGO