Raising Sheep

Raising Sheep

Sheep are a warm and friendly additionto any homestead. Easy to care for and furto manage, they repay their owners with boun:--ful meat and wool harvests. They produzz-marketable meat in less than half the firmcattle require, and are much easier to hatchet.

Breeds of sheep can be broken down iota main types: fine-wools, medium-wools,wools, and meat-types.

The fine-wools are adaptable to many-ent environments and are frequently foundcc Southwest. Rambouillet is a fine-woolyielding eight to 12 pounds of fleece perIt is an open-faced breed, which meanswool does not grow on or near the eyes.bouillets will breed any time of the year.Debouillet is another variety of medianswhich also produces an excellent wool crop.Of the medium-wools, the Columbia, thebreed of American origin, is the most popu-Sheep of this breed are large in size and Corriedales, a New Zealand breed, produce heavy fleeces and mature early. Theney and Lincoln are the favored breeds oflong-wool variety. They are known for theirptability to cold, wet climates.

The large, popular Hampshire is recog-,ble by its black face and narrow muzzle.Suffolk and Shropshire are other largeeties bred for meat production.

Housing Sheep

Only simple accommodationsneeded for a flock of sheep. A three-sidedcture is sufficient in regions where wintersnot too severe. You should provide ap-ximately 15 square feet per sheep in a closed-off shelter. Indoor and outdoor feeders provision for free-choice fresh water and salt must be made to maintain a healthy flock.good bedding of straw on the floor of theiulter will insulate the building during thewater and if freshened periodically it will pre-,-rot the sheep's wool from becoming soiled andratted.

The biggest chore of the spring season isclearing the shelter of the manure and strawbedding which has accumulated over the winter.The manure can be used as fertilizer, com-xsted, or sold to someone who can make use of it. A thorough cleaning of the shed floorand application of fresh bedding will start thenew season.

On the homestead, sheep should not berun with cattle or hogs, although they can bekept near goats. Good meadow fencing is nec-essary to keep predators out and contain theflock.

Feeding Sheep

Sheep will be quite content toact as meadow lawn mowers by feeding onforage grasses. The best pastureland can sup-port as many as 15 ewes and their lambs peracre. If land is too poor to provide enough foodby itself, use a supplement of grain feed. One-third to one-half pound per day per ewe of corn,oats, milo, or barley should be fed. Feedlotsheep (those without access to pasture) shouldbe fed at least two to four pounds of hay andabout a pound of grain per head per day. Amixture of 60 percent oats, 25 percent cornor sorghum grains and 15 percent wheat branis recommended.

Be sure to rotate forage pastures to pre-vent the ewes from contracting worms. Com-mercial wormers should be administered tosheep once every six months to insure againstinternal parasites. An alternative to a com-mercial product for worming is a diatom flourfed free-choice with salt.

Sheep Disease

When purchasingsheep, reject all animals with disease symptoms.Foot rot is a bacterial disease which causes thehoof to separate from the underlying tissues. Afoot infected with the disease will carry an odorof decay. Mastitis is another condition to checkfor when buying sheep. Lumps or hardness inthe udder indicate its presence and ewes in-fected with it will be unable to nurse offspring.Also beware of spreading or missing teeth, anindication of age.

Good nutrition and management will prevent practically all sheep diseases. Liver fluke can be avoided by keeping sheep away from stagnant water. Anthrax, the worst killer, can be prevented by not letting your shep graze closely on sparse late summer pastures. Anthrax grems live in the soil and on short grass and can be picked up by the animal.

Traditionally, sheep were dipped ina disinfectant to control parasites. Today, however, many sheepmen have stopped dipping their sheep. Most dips contain arsenic or DDT, neither of which is safe for animals. Stay away from phenothiazine too - this powerful worm-killer affects the sheep's body growth and metabolism, and may well be responsible for todays's big lamb losses and the increase in "mystery" diseases. Pasture rotation is a better preventive of worms and parasites.

Breeding:
Breeding activity varies amongbreeds and even between individuals within abreed. Many types have a restricted seasonbased on daylength, temperature, and the age ofthe ewe. In most cases, the breeding seasonoccurs between late July and early December.Within this season, ewes over nine months oldenter heat every 16 to 17 days with each estruslasting about 72 hours. The duration of preg-nancy is approximately 145 days so that a latefall breeding will result in lambs arriving in lateMarch or April.

One ram introduced into a flock will ser-vice 30 ewes. The rams should be marked at thetime of breeding by painting the brisquet(lower chest) of the ram with artists' oil paintdiluted with motor oil. Change the color on thebrisquet every 16 days for easy detection ofewes which come into estrus after the initialbreeding. The marking of the ewes by the ramsduring mating allows the shepherd to approxi-mate when lambing will occur and to detect in-fertile rams.
Before breeding, sheepmen flush their ewes. Flushing is simply feeding on lusiture or increased grain rations to encznrweight gain. As weight gain increases, tie :•40drop more eggs and increase the possi.:-._multiple births.

Lambing Sheep

As the time for deliver.near, the demands on the mother'snecessitate a slight increase in feedSome shepherds include about a pint (1pound) of molasses in the ration toagainst lambing paralysis. Lambing para.:characterized by stiff limbs in the mothe:listless walking, twitching muscles, grindteeth, and even death. Overly fat ewes arecially susceptible to this condition. F:-reason, be careful not to overfeed durimzearly gestation period.
Wheat in the ewe's ration preventslimb disease in unborn lambs. Deficienciesvitamin E and selenium are the causes ctdisease.

Lambing time is the most demandinrall periods in the shepherd's schedule. It is v.to prepare for it by stocking up oness.supplies such as clean towels, iodine (:_used when cutting the cord), a sharpalcohol, and cotton swabs. These items sb:,be placed in a can or other sealable and kept in the shed where they will bewhen lambing starts.
Simple lambing pens to separate the t•and their offspring from other members cfflock should be ready and waiting. Afoot, hinged, two-sided wooden fence to placed in a corner is sufficient to segregate 1.pair. Be sure the rungs of the pen areenough and close enough together to pre,.mothers and lambs from trying to escape.
Keep a constant watch on the flocidetect any change in the behavior of prerc.ewes. Labored breathing, listlessness andof appetite are sure signs of an impen

Cold drafts and wind can hinder a successfulbirth and result in the loss of a lamb.

The usual labor lasts an hour. Allow theewe to conduct the delivery unassisted for thefirst 45 minutes, or slightly longer if things areprogressing normally. To assist the ewe, pull onthe emerging lamb's front two legs only whenthe ewe is contracting. There are frequentcomplications in birth; many lambs do notemerge hoof first. After disinfecting and lubri-cating your hands with alcohol and petroleumjelly, try to dislodge any limbs bent within thewomb. This insures a comfortable delivery andprevents internal injuries to the mother.

The first few hours of life are critical forthe newborn lamb. As soon as the lamb iscompletely dropped, begin to rub it briskly withclean towels or other cloths to get its circulationgoing. Lambs can also be immersed in warmwater to get their bodies functioning. The analpassage should be wiped and the nose cleanedwith cotton swabs to aid breathing. Cut thecord about six inches from the lamb's body anddouse the area with iodine. The cord itself willdry up and fall in a week's time.

It is very important that the lamb nurseas soon as possible after birth. Try to encour-age it to suckle by placing your finger in itsmouth and, when it begins to suck, transferringit to the mother's udder. Give the ewe's nipplea few determined pulls to start the flow ofcolostrum. If there is no milk or if the lambwill not cooperate, have a bottle of substitutehandy. Three cups milk, one tablespoon sugar,one beaten egg, and one tablespoon cod-liveroil will do the trick.

After one week to ten days it is time todock the lamb. At birth, it has a long tailresembling a dog's tail. To prevent feces build-up, the tail is clipped with a special dockinginstrument. Cut it about two inches from therump. Apply iodine and, to stop the bleeding, wrap a string tightly around the wound. A walkin cool air will encourage the blood to clot.After 15 minutes, the string can be removed.Lambs will frequently be traumatized by thepain, but they will resume normal activity in afew hours.

Lambs will begin feeding about two weeksafter birth. Offer them a creep feeder, fashionedto allow only small-headed animals access tothe feed. The ewe and lamb should be fedseparately for the first few days after birth,or until the lamb is strong enough to ward offthe jealous advances of other mothers.

Shearing Sheep

Sheep are shorn in the springbut, in special cases, they may be shorn in earlysummer, or in autumn, as preparation forbreeding.

Shearing the ewes before lambing freesthe birth passage and keeps the wool frombeing soiled. Shearing can best be learnedfrom someone who is an old hand at the art.Sheep will yield approximately ten pounds ofwool per animal.

Slaughtering Sheep

To slaughter your sheep,you need a .22 rifle, a special table or butcher-ing "cradle," a meat saw, sharp butcheringknives, containers for catching the blood, and alarge sink in which to wash the carcass.

For about a day prior to slaughtering,withhold feed but not water from the animal.This will prevent the stomach from being toofull and will make removal of the gut muchsimpler. Clean and assemble your equipment,then lead the sheep from its pen to the butchering table. Handle the animal gently, placing one hand under its throat and the other hand under the opposite flank.

Shoot the sheep in the center of the fore-head. Lift the body onto the table and, with asharp, pointed knife, slit the throat. Let theblood drain out into a container beneath thetable. After bleeding, turn the sheep onto its back and cut down the center of theMake sure you cut only through the skin.

Before continuing with the bateremove the head and, if it is to be used, ski=clean it. At the breastbone, pull back thefrom the breast, skinning the neck aspossible. Skin the forelegs down to theand remove the lower part of each one. Tremove the pelt from the belly, slit it downcenter, and cut the exposed breastbonethe meat saw.

Split the throat and remove the windyand esophagus. Skin hind legs and remove bhooves. Make an incision in these legs bet,the tendons and string cord through it. You calnow hang the carcass and continue skinnithe sides.

The intestines are removed through ancision made in the belly wall. The viscera ,removed, the paunch and liver cut out, anddiaphragm cut so that the heart and lungsbe removed.

Wash the carcass in tepid water. Coverwith netting, and hang it in a cool place for aday or two. The pelt should be covered winosalt and hung over a fence to dry before ittanned.

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