From the Nov. 20, 1917 issue of the Hickory Daily Record.
Every Stockman Should
Save Ewe Lambs
By R.S. Curtis, Animal
Husbandman, Animal Industry Division, West Raleigh
There has doubtless been a time in the history of the world when
the sheep industry of the United States was in such a deplorable condition, and
never a time when the production of wool and mutton were as important. There is
today a world shortage of 53,000,000 sheep, and this condition has arisen
during one of the most critical stages in the history of this country. Before
the declaration of war there was a material shortage in meat products and the
emergency which has arisen makes the condition the more critical.
We will not only need all of the meat products which can be
produced from lamb and mutton, but the needs of the government in supplying the
soldiers with clothing is going to make unusual inroads into the supply of wool
at hand. Wool at the present time is selling as high as 80 cents per pound in
the grease, and the chances are favorable that it will go still higher. Under
present conditions this means that the wool clip form an average breed sheep is
worth around $5. There is no other farm animal which produces such a by-product
and still leaves the animal for reproductive purposes to replenish the breeding
stock.
The census taken of livestock in North Carolina in 1900 showed
that we had 300,000 sheep, and the census taken in 1910 showed a sheep
population of only 200,000 or a decrease of 33 1/3 per cent. Such a condition
is critical, as it not only means that we are helping to deplete the supply of meat
and wool, but we are taking from the farms an animal which, when properly
handled, will return the largest percentage on the money invested of any farm
animal.
The slogan of every stockman should be to save the ewe lambs
suitable for breeding purposes. It is a crime to allow them to go to the
shambles. This is so fully realized that prominent livestock and kindred
organizations are making every effort possible to divert the female breeding
stock to the farms. For example, the Philadelphia Wool and Textile Association
is transporting large numbers of western sheep into the east for the purpose of
re-establishing the sheep industry on the eastern farms, where at one time this
industry flourished.
If one-half of the farms in North Carolina maintained 20 head of
breeding sheep this would mean a sheep population of four million head, or
approximately 12 times the number which we now have. It is a conservative
estimate to state that there is sufficient waste land on half of the farms of
this State to carry this number of sheep. The amount of feed which it would
require to keep this number of sheep would scarcely be appreciable. On the
Iredell test farm in this State 20 head of sheep have been maintained for
several years. The wool from these 20 breeding ewes has just been sold for
$5.00 per head, which is more than sufficient to pay for the cost of keep,
leaving the lambs clear profit.
When the good pasture is available the wool will pay for the cost
of that (something is missing). Permanent pastures can not be provided in all
sections of the states. That is not an obstacle to sheep production since
temporary pastures are very much better and there is no section of the State
where such cannot be grown. The chief reason for using temporary pastures is to
retard the development of stomach worms which is one of the two chief troubles
in lamb production.
The other obstacle, or at least what is commonly supposed to be an
obstacle, is the dog. This can be controlled by the use of corrals where sheep
are kept at night. ‘There is really more in the fear of the dog than the actual
damage which is sustained. The writer is interested in the opinion that if
farmers interested in sheep wait until adequate dog laws are passed that the
sheep industry will lag hopelessly. Before a dog law can be passed it will be
necessary to have a large number of interested stockmen bring pressure to bear
on their legislators. If an attempt is made to pass a dog law there is really
no argument at the present time, since there are not enough sheep owned by a
sufficiently large number of stockmen to back up the issue. Even though we had
a law at the present time sheep should be corralled at night, since there will
always be some dogs which may prey on the unprotected flock. Conservation of
the breeding animals is the one point which needs prompt attention, and the dog
and intestinal worm problems should not stand out as barriers when an industry
is facing extinction.
