Place
two good large gates at the middle of either of the two opposite sides.
This will be sufficient at first, but, as your flocks increase, a
somewhat more complicated arrangement will be desirable.
The sheep, we will suppose, are to be thoroughly overhauled. You wish,
for some reason, to inspect their case fully yourself, or you must tail
your lambs, in which case every lamb has to be caught, and you will cut
its tail off, and ear-mark it with your own earmark; or, again, you will
see fit to draft out all the lambs that are ready for weaning; or you
may wish to cull the mob, and sell off the worst-woolled sheep; or your
neighbour's sheep may have joined with yours; or for many other reasons
it is necessary that your flock should be closely examined. Without
good yards it is impossible to do this well - they are an essential of
the highest importance.
Select, then, a site as dry and stony as possible (for your sheep will
have to be put into the yard over night), and at daylight in the morning
set to work.
+ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+
| | D _________| |
| | _____/ | |
| |/ | | |
GATE F GATE C GATE B GATE A GATE
| |\_____| | |
| | \_________| |
| | E | |
+ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+
Fill the yard B with sheep from the big yard A. The yard B we will
suppose to hold about 600. Fill C from B:
