RUGGING OF SHEEP

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20930, 8 January 1938, Page 16

RUGGING OF SHEEP

SUCCESS IN AUSTRALIA BETTER GROWTH OF WOOL After a visit to Australia, Mr George Davidson, jun., a Wellington wool-I broking firm, is much impressed by the practice of rugging sheep. For many years stud sheep had been i rugged in Australia, he said, in an interview, but it was only during the last two years or so that practical experiments had been made with flock sheep, and these had proved very successful. Not only had the wool improved in respect to better growth and freedom from vegetable matter, but also the sheep had developed a more robust frame. These advantages should alone, he considered, pay the cost of covering the sheep, even under the most adverse wool and meat market conditions. Reduced mortality effected by the protection of sheep by rugs would be a clear saving to the farmer. Mr Davidson said he had imagined there would be many drawbacks to covering sheep, but he had found he was wrong. As regards the effect of hot sun on covered sheep, he was told they were protected against the effect of the heat. At present the practice had not been carried out to a large extent in Australia, but it appeared to him as fast becoming popular with sheep owners. In his opinion New Zealand should follow closely what was being done in Australia in the matter of rugging sheep, for these appeared to be sound economic reasons for it.