Volume 01: Production and resources of the northern and western districts of New South Wales, 1854 [ca. 1850-1857] - Page 254

bucks are turned out only in the afternoon - During rains all are kept in the house - Every care is taken to prevent the sheep getting wet, wetness and dampness being found to act prejudicially against the fineness of the fleece -
      "As the same care is taken with the Merino in Saxony, it may be held an established by experience that extreme fineness of fleece is only attainable by studying to protect the sheep from wet and damp". If this is as important as the above quoted opinion would represent then it is essential that those who are desirous of improving the fleece of any breed, should not only drain their lands to protect them from any under dampness, but should provide less or more shelter for sheep, according to the character of the breed - The houses for the sheep are large buildings with granaries above. The ceilings of the house for the sheep are lofty, & ventilation is secured by windows placed high in the walls. These windows are protected by iron grating & with wooden shutters for closing when necessary - The floors are [loaded?] with straw frequently renewed.
     During winter the sheep are fed three times in a day. Twice a day they are allowed a mixture of oats and barley - The quantity allowed daily is one litre, or about two pints of our measure. Bran is also allowed. The allowance of hay is about two pounds daily and of Mangel wortzels double that quantity.
     Every buck is numbered on his horns, and the numbers are all registered as care is taken to prevent all intermixing at the time the bucks are following the ewes, the pedigree can at once be traced.
     The lambs all drop in the months of November & December - they are allowed to follow their dams for about four months & then fed as the older sheep - Twin lambs are not desired - When twins occur, one of the lambs are slaughtered when it is three days old - As the intention is to produce sheep of strong vigorous Constitution, This destroying of the extra lambs is deemed advisable - The numbers Ewes to one buck is forty to fifty - The merino breed is rapidly extending in France particularly for the purpose of crossing the native breeds - When the thermometer is about 90 Fahren. the sheep at Rambouillet have usually refused to feed - The profits of the establishment at Rambouillet has been large - The average sale of bucks during a Year is seventy or eighty - this number is taken at an average of a hundred dollars a fleece gives a large sum.

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Volume 01: Production and resources of the northern and western districts of New South Wales, 1854 [ca. 1850-1857] - Page 254

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Volume 01: Production and resources of the northern and western districts of New South Wales, 1854 [ca. 1850-1857] - Page 254

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