LEICESTER EWES AND LAMBS. 147 



not quite come to the same line as the walls in front. The door 

 is closed by means of a small hurdle or " flake," which moves 

 between the partition and the inside of the walls. 



The roof is thickly thatched with rye or wheat straw tied in 

 bundles, and on the outside or front, bunches of straw resembling 

 sheaves are set on end, so that their tops meet the thatch, and when 

 fixed in this position by means of " tarry " string or old sheep 

 netting, a most effectual covering is made, the straw materially 

 adding to the warmth during the cold nights so commonly pre- 

 valent in March. This row of pens forms the north side of a 

 rectilineal figure. On the east is the hedge, and to form the 

 other two sides west and south a fence of larch posts, with three 

 spruce rails, is erected of the same height as a common fence. 

 To make this enclosure as comfortable as possible, bunches of 

 straw are fixed all along the inside of the fence and hedge, and 

 when fixed in position form as it were a solid wall of straw, 

 which is quite impervious to the strongest wind. The enclosure, 

 which is called the court, is provided with two gates — one for 

 driving the ewes in at the evening, at the west end, and one 

 at the east end, where ewes and lambs are turned into a " seed " 

 field after a day or two. There is also a little gate formed of two 

 bundles of straw, at which the shepherd enters at night. Some 

 say that it is necessary to provide sheep with hay for night use 

 while in the lambing pens. This is entirely a mistake, as it is 

 not only a waste of food, but may even tend to endanger the 

 lives of some of the ewes. Anyone who has had experience 

 will have noticed that just before ewes are taken out of their 

 day-pasture to be put up for the night, they suddenly become 

 hurried and endeavour to eat as much as they can possibly 

 manage. In some way or other they know when the time for 

 removing them is approaching, and it is astonishing to notice 

 what an immense quantity of turnips or other food they will put 

 out of svAit in so short a time. 



From this cause, when ewes enter the lambing court at night, 

 they are well- filled with food, and are kept busy all night in 

 rumination, which is at that time their natural employment. 

 Seeing that this is the case, it would only be waste of hay to 

 supply the sheep with what they do not require. Taking into 

 consideration all the advantages wliich efficient shelter lias over 

 poor accommodation for ewes, specially of the Leicester breed, 

 and of the annual trouble and expense which is incurred in re- 

 pairing, thatching, and enclosing the pens and lambing-courts in 

 common use, we liave come to the conclusion that every landlord 

 should erect suitable and permanent lambing sheds of wood. 



We should propose to construct them entirely of larch timber, 

 the roof also of timber, to be covered with felt and tarred ; gates 

 or doors made to each pen, and provided with hinges, instead of 



