Guide UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co) __ Fanners often attempt to raise sheep as a sideline to their ot her farming endeavors, but many do not have enough breed ing ewes to maintain good sheep husbandry without a great expense per head. Thirty-five to 40 ewes is the minimum number likely to return enough income to make a flock worthwhile. “Sheep Husbandry,” a non-credit correspondence course taught through the Penn sylvania State University, teaches farmers how to make sheep a pro- Union County Fair Awards Champions READ’EM AND REAP Another Quality Seed from C UNDER SEED Shows How To Make Profit From Sheep fitable acquisition. There are several advantages to raising sheep. Sheep make excel lent use of forage; six to seven ewes eat the same amount of food as one beef cow. Also cattle and sheep can graze side-by-side be cause of the similarities in their physical makeup. Sheep can also be used for different types of pro duction, from commercial uses to pure breeding, and they require a minimum amount of labor and in expensive housing. There are also disadvantages to the sheep industry. A lack of prop Bacterial VertKtllium Variety HR HR HR R Sabre R HR MR MR Oneida VR MR R HR MR WL3I6 WL3I7 HR R R MR MR R WL32O HR R R Centurion Pioneer 5432 HR R S MR R R HR Fortress % Resistant Plants S Susceptible 0-5% LX Low Rnutincr 6 |4% MRModeratt Resistance IS 30% RRcsistance3l 50% HRHighßesistancesl%ocmow SABRE ALFALFA; Cornell’s New Weapon against multiple diseases can mean higher yield for you! Sabre gives you more healthy, high yielding plants per acre and longer stand life than older varieties It survives severe growing conditions where other alfalfas die out Its quick regrowth means maximum yield under a 3 or 4 cutting program And, as a Blue Tag Certified Seed, quality is assured in every bag Don't miss out on this new generation ot Cornell AltaJta Supplies are limited, so see your distributor today and order early l Ithaca, NY (yield-Tons/Acrf 12% M] 1989 1988 1987 season total season total -season total f 2 harvests) Sabre Oneida VR 4 17 r er feed and care, poor manage ment, and damage by parasites have all contributed to tha dis couragement of sheep production. “Sheep Husbandry” teaches an in terested sheepherder how to cope with and conquer each oite of these problems. Dr. Thomas L. Merritt, an asso ciate professor of animal industry at Penn State’s main campus, has been teaching for more than 30 years. He breaks his course down into several workable sections, each one giving a synopsis of sheep care, equipment, or market swine for the Union Co. West End Fair Is exhibited here by owner Jason Christ, Mifflinburg FFA, right. On the left is Robert Hamm of the Country Cupboard In Lewisburg, buyer. Phytopthora Anthracnoae Root Rot R HR Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 8,1991 ing possibilities. “Sheep Husbandry” discusses all the ins and outs of mating rams and ewes as well as follow-up care of pregnant ewes and newborn lambs. For instance, during the first 12 to 15 weeks of pregnancy, ewes consume approximately 214 percent of their weight in air-dry feed daily. If the ewes are on pas ture, the sheepherder must make sure that the pasture is providing ample feed. In late fall, too often the pasture becomes rundown or dormant and the ewes have a diffi cult time just maintaining their livestock sale was exhibited by Heidi Keefer, Cowan Ag 4-H Club, right. Buyer was Robert Hamm for Country Cupboard In Lewisburg. . -- jy<- .urg^ and Trust of the grand champion market lamb at the Union Co. West End livestock stock. Matthew Houpt, Mifflingburg FFA, was the owner. body weight. They must have good access to salt and minerals. If you would like to leam more about raising your own sheep and the possibility of profit, send $16.00 to: “Sheep Husbandry.” Course #42, 128 AG-Mitchell Bldg., University Park, PA 16802. Make checks payable to the Penn sylvania State University. lc 7
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers