Boys\u27 and Girls\u27 Club Work: Sheep Club

Not until the last two years has the sheep raiser come into his own. With the present high prices of mutton and wool there can be no better opportunity offered boys and girls of South Dakota than to get into the production of these commodities. There is a serious shortage. The raising of sheep requires less time, expense, and room than does that of any other kind of stock. “A small flock on every farm” is the slogan for South Dakota club members. This will be the result of good club work, and we hope to see one or more sheep clubs in every county this year. It is surprising to not the great amount of feed that goes to waste on every farm where sheep are not kept. Feed that cannot be saved except by pasturing sheep on it. Orchards, fence-rows, unused lots, and driveways are all kept clear and in perfect condition by sheep. They are weed destroyers. Even in the stock pastures that eat weeds and bitter grasses that other stock leave. Ewes will be clipped in June and the wool can be shipped as a club shipment or it can be pooled with the county wool growers. Packers pay the highest prices for lambs up to 80 to 85 pounds. By keeping the lambs until they clean up the fields in the fall, they will reach this weight. They can be kept until November 1st on good gains with no grain feed