POINTS ON CRUTCHING.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 111, 12 May 1926, Page 18

POINTS ON CRUTCHING.

Nowadays one seldom hears of any i depreciation of the usefulness of rrutchings, in fact, the practice has now become so general as to be looked upon as essential. A good time to carry . out this work in the Auckland Province .is towards the end of this month. If ■ left later there is the chance of winter . setting in in earnest, and the yards he- ! coming wet and dirty and causing the ; work to extend over too Jong a time. : The ewes will also be nearing a time , when it will be advisable to do as little handling of them as possible. While crutching is undoubtedly beneficial there ;is a limit as to the quantity of wool I that should be taken otF. The price jof crutchings never justified the almost i half-shearing of the sheep as is soinc- | times done, and that is the only possible 1 excuse that can be found for so doing. ! In the case of hoggets there is absolutely no need to clip higher than the root of the tail. When dealing with breeding ewes, it Is also advisable to cut a little of the wool away fw>m %he- front of-*be udder, just enough to make it easily accessible to the young lamb.