LEICESTER EWES AND LAMBS. 159 



possible to lamb tliem without rupturing the womb. This de- 

 formity consists in the fore legs having no proper knee-joints. 

 The legs are curved towards the belly of the lamb, and are in- 

 capable of being bent. As these lambs generally come hind- 

 quarters first, it will be easily understood how dangerous these 

 jointless legs must be to the ewe. What makes matters worse 

 is that it is quite impossible to tell that anything is wrong, and the 

 lamber proceeds to extract the lamb in the way usually practised 

 with a breech presentation. 



Such deformities as these are said to be the result of " in-and- 

 in " breeding, and as they generally occur on low, damp farms, 

 where inflammatory disease is common, it is more than probable 

 that such is the true explanation. Along with such cases as 

 this, lambs with cleft palate are frequently found ; others with 

 imperforate anus, and frequently hermaphrodite lambs. Occa- 

 sionally there are instances of monstrosities, and these must be 

 dealt with as the shepherd thinks fit, for no definite rule can be 

 laid down for their treatment. 



Very frequently a ewe goes about as if going to lamb, but does 

 not exert herself, and the attendant notices that her hjok is both 

 dull and exhausted. In this case an examination should at once 

 be made. On inserting the hand, the lamber will find that the 

 lambs have a soft, cold feel, and, if experienced, from the touch 

 he will know that they are dead. He must now proceed to ex- 

 tract them, often piece-meal, and this is by no means a pleasant 

 task, as the foetus is in a state of putrification. In operations of 

 this kind tlie assistant should use carbolic oil to rub his hands 

 with, and the ewe should receive a cleansing drench composed 

 of warm beer, 1 gill ; nitre, 2 to 4 drachms ; gentian (powdered), 

 2 drachms ; and ginger, -J or 1 drachm. 



When a ewe has only one lamb, and sufficient milk to bring 

 up a pair, and at the same time a gimmer has twins and only 

 milk for one lamb, the usual plan is to give the ewe her own and 

 one of the gimmer's twins, and to leave the gimmer to bring up 

 one of her own lambs. Xow, in a case of this sort, if tlie lambs 

 are all born about the same time, the shepherd should rub all the 

 three lambs together, so that they may have the same smell, and 

 then place the gimmer's twins with tlie ewe and the ewe's single 

 lamb with the gimmer. In this way a much better reconcilia- 

 tion is brought about, and the twins always thrive better, as 

 they are more equally matched in every respect. It may be 

 necessary to confine the ewe and even halter her, for she is 

 always more crafty than the gimmer. Usually, however, there 

 is little trouble in a case like the above. Again, if a ewe has 

 {win lambs and one dies (if she is able to bring u]) two lambs), 

 the shepherd should take a lamb from a gimmer which has two, 

 or from a ewe which has twins ; and, after skinning the dead 



