Early Lamb Raising. 165 



early market is to get tlie ewes to breed early. With ordinary pre- 

 caution a few ewes of almost any flock that is at all suited for this 

 purpose, will breed early and will fatten good lambs, but when early 

 lamb raising is undertaken on a somewhat extensive scale, it is 

 desirable to have a considerable number of ewes lamb about the 

 same time, in order that one or more pens of ewes may be fed the 

 same ration. If the lambs are all dropped within a short period the 

 labor of caring for them will be much less than if they are dropped 

 throughout a long period. In feeding all classes of stock it is 

 desirable to have the animals that are fed together as uniform as 

 possible and particularly is this essential in lamb raising. When- 

 ever the ewes go into winter quarters in good flesh, very little or 

 no grain and but few roots should be fed before lambing time ; this 

 will enable the owner to carry the ewes through a critical period 

 with less trouble than if grain and roots are fed liberally before the 

 lambs are born. Whenever grain and roots are fed in considerable 

 quantities to ewes before 1 am I)ing, those ewes that are heavy milkers 

 will give the owners more or less trouble on account of their udders 

 becoming hard and inflamed from an undue secretion of milk. Of 

 course this means that the best ewes are likely to be injured and a 

 loss entailed which can not be afforded, particularly as the remedy is 

 so simple. As the ewes recover from lambing, grain may be fed in 

 small quantities at first but increased as fast as the condition and 

 character of the ewes will safely permit. The best results have 

 been obtained, everything considered, in feeding grain as described 

 and forcing the ewes to their utmost from a period of four to eight 

 weeks after lambing. At this time extra grain and care will bring 

 greater returns than any other time during the year ; the profit 

 derived from this increased flow of milk is not directly proportional 

 to the total yield. A little extra food may bring the lamb into 

 prime condition and cause it to sell for the highest market price, 

 while the same lamb without this increased nourishment would be 

 only in fair condition and sell in the market for not more than two- 

 thirds the price of prime lambs. 



It is of the utmost importance that the lambs be well fattened 

 No matter how large and thrifty a lamb may be, it will not sell for 

 the highest price if it is not fat. 



During the time that the ewes are being forced to their greatest 

 capacity for milk, the lambs should receive equally as careful atten- 

 tion in the way of inducing them to eat as much food as possible. 



