140 THE TREATMENT OF BORDER 



THE TREATMENT OF BORDER LEICESTER EWES AND LAMBS. 

 By A. Septimus Alexander, 4 Belhaven Terrace, Glasgow. 

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The Border Leicester breed of sheep has been found suitable for 

 those districts where the pasture is fertile, and where the sheep 

 can be tended with much care and without much exposure. 

 Being a breed which has a weak constitution, and a much 

 greater tendency to intiammatory diseases than many other 

 kinds, it cannot bear hard living, travelling far, or exposure to 

 cold and damp. The good quality of the breed is, however, the 

 facility with which it will cross with other varieties, and to this 

 we owe some of our most useful crosses. One of these, the half- 

 bred sheep, is derived from the union of a Leicester tup with a 

 Cheviot ewe. This cross is much more hardy than the Leicester, 

 has a better skin, smaller and sweeter mutton, and is adaptable 

 to hig^her ground, and requires less attention in sheltering. 

 When a half-bred ewe produces a lamb to a Leicester tup, the 

 progeny is termed " three-quarters " or " three-parts " bred, and 

 of this variety there are many flocks upon the Borders. The 

 lambs of this cross are easily fattened, but are largely used as 

 store sheep, the wether hoggs being sold for winter folding upon 

 turnips. 



Having described the three breeds of sheep with which we 

 intend to deal in this report, we shall now proceed to explain 

 their management as it is carried out upon some of the most 

 noted farms in Northumberland. 



In order that we may treat in the most thorough manner 

 our subject, it will be advisable to commence wdth the manage- 

 ment of the ewes immediately after the season's lambs have 

 been weaned ; and if we follow their treatment up to the cor- 

 responding period of the succeeding year, we shall have a fair 

 idea of the course generally pursued. After the lambs have 

 been separated from their mothers at weaning time, the latter 

 are placed upon good fair pasture, where they will live well 

 without obtaining much ^jood orass, and after a week or so those 

 which are to be removed from the breeding flock are drafted. 

 This is usually accomplished when the ewes have ceased to bleat 

 for their lambs, or about a week after weaning. At this period 

 all those ewes which have had three " crops " of lambs are taken 

 out of the breeding flock to allow" the gimmers to come in and 

 fill up their places. According to the system of ear-marking 

 (which will be explained further on), these old ewes are at once 

 detected bv havincr a " forebit " in the far ear. 



Not only must the old ewes be removed, but any sheep among 

 the young ones which has suffered from disease, as garget or 



