Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Plentywood Herald
Plentywood, Sheridan County, Montana
What is this article about?
W. C. Skelley, assistant animal husbandman at the New Jersey State College of Agriculture, advises on winter feeding for ewes based on their condition, recommending leguminous roughages, grains, exercise, and precautions against poor-quality feeds to ensure healthy lambs and milk production.
Clipping
OCR Quality
Full Text
FEEDS FOR EWES DURING WINTER
The feeding of the ewe flock during the winter months depends a great deal on the condition of the ewes at the beginning of winter.
If the ewes are in good flesh and in a vigorous condition, explains W. C. Skelley, assistant animal husbandman at the New Jersey State College of Agriculture, leguminous roughages such as alfalfa, clover, oats and peas, and soy bean hay, will be sufficient for the greater part of the pregnancy period. Timothy and marsh hays should never be fed to ewes, as they are constipating and may cause losses. Another objection to timothy hay is that the heads get into the wool, making it hard to shear and lowering its market price. Where corn stalks are available they may be added to the legume hay, as they give good results and also cut down costs. Roots and silage if available may be added to the ration in moderate amounts, but care should be taken to see that they are not frozen, moldy, or sour, for they may cause abortion.
If the ewes are in poor condition at the beginning of winter, a small amount of grain should be added to their ration. A good mixture is two parts of oats, one part of corn, and one part of bran, fed in amounts of about half pound to each ewe a day.
One of the problems of the sheep owner is to have his ewes give enough milk for the lamb. Frequently, when ewes have been fed the entire winter on roughage, they have no milk. This difficulty can be overcome, however, by light grain feeding, beginning four to six weeks before the ewes are due to lamb. Two parts of oats and one part of bran make an excellent mixture fed at about the rate of half a pound to each ewe a day.
Another point to keep in mind about the ewes is to see that they get plenty of exercise, since this insures stronger and healthier lambs, and the ewes will have less trouble in delivery. To get them to take exercise a good plan is, on bright clear days, to scatter some of their roughage in the field and allow them to feed in the open. On wet stormy days they should be kept inside, as their fleece will get wet and colds or pneumonia may result.
What sub-type of article is it?
What keywords are associated?
What entities or persons were involved?
Where did it happen?
Domestic News Details
Primary Location
New Jersey
Key Persons
Event Details
The feeding of the ewe flock during the winter months depends a great deal on the condition of the ewes at the beginning of winter. If the ewes are in good flesh and in a vigorous condition, leguminous roughages such as alfalfa, clover, oats and peas, and soy bean hay, will be sufficient for the greater part of the pregnancy period. Timothy and marsh hays should never be fed to ewes, as they are constipating and may cause losses. Another objection to timothy hay is that the heads get into the wool, making it hard to shear and lowering its market price. Where corn stalks are available they may be added to the legume hay, as they give good results and also cut down costs. Roots and silage if available may be added to the ration in moderate amounts, but care should be taken to see that they are not frozen, moldy, or sour, for they may cause abortion. If the ewes are in poor condition at the beginning of winter, a small amount of grain should be added to their ration. A good mixture is two parts of oats, one part of corn, and one part of bran, fed in amounts of about half pound to each ewe a day. One of the problems of the sheep owner is to have his ewes give enough milk for the lamb. Frequently, when ewes have been fed the entire winter on roughage, they have no milk. This difficulty can be overcome, however, by light grain feeding, beginning four to six weeks before the ewes are due to lamb. Two parts of oats and one part of bran make an excellent mixture fed at about the rate of half a pound to each ewe a day. Another point to keep in mind about the ewes is to see that they get plenty of exercise, since this insures stronger and healthier lambs, and the ewes will have less trouble in delivery. To get them to take exercise a good plan is, on bright clear days, to scatter some of their roughage in the field and allow them to feed in the open. On wet stormy days they should be kept inside, as their fleece will get wet and colds or pneumonia may result.