458 Transactions of tiie 



blanket, rub it with the skinned carcass over all the parts not covered 

 by the skin, remove the carcass out of sight, and the mother of the 

 dead lamb will owfi the live one almost immediately. In a few days the 

 skin may be removed, the trouble is over, the adoption final. If there 

 be no stillborn or dead lambs, and the ewes arc in condition to suckle 

 twins, any motherless lambs remaining undisposed of may be kept until 

 a ewe is found in the act of lambing; then slip op quietly with the 

 motherless one, roll it about in the water and after-birth, and the ewe 

 will clean them both off and own them both. Should she have twins 

 you will have to "try, try again." 



Sometimes a very strong lamb will get along by itself, stealing from 

 the ewes indiscriminately. And finally, all other plans having been 

 faithfully tried and failed, there may be no other recourse hut to feed 

 them by hand, or give them to some neighbor's children. .Both plans 

 are open to objection. Where sheep are kept in large bands in Califor- 

 nia, the " camps " .are seldom provided with milch cows; and giving 

 away lambs soon starts an opposition sheep ranch — to divide with you 

 any un fenced range you may happen to work on. 



There will he lambs coming at all hours, day as well as night. Those 

 that come during the day are to be worked out of the main flock and 

 put in with those that were parted out in the morning. They require 

 the same sort of care and management to see that mothers and off- 

 spring are duly mated. 



MIDWIFERY. 



There will occasionally be a ewe that may have such trouble bringing 

 forth her offspring as to need help. This happens very seldom, and 

 nature should always be allowed ample time to do all she will before 

 you offer to interfere; the ewe being several hours in pains need not 

 appal one. The lamb ought to come head-foremost, with the two front 

 feet one on each side of its nose. If it be coming right, but on examination 

 prove to be dead, then after unusual delay, assistance may be offered. 

 Lay the ewe on her side, and as each effort of nature is made to expel 

 the lamb, you may pull at it gently. Be particular to pull only when a 

 labor pain is in progress. A few gentle and steady pulls will suffice in 

 most cases. It may happen that this has to be done when the lamb is 

 alive, hut this will be still more seldom, unless an injudicious cross has 

 been made, as of a small Spanish ewe bred to a buck of one of the large 

 English mutton breeds. This crossing is a pregnant source of this 

 trouble. Occasionally the foetus may have died, and though the ewe 

 may have been in labor ample time, no sign of its appearance may be 

 visible. An examination may then be made by introducing the fingers 

 (well greased with lard), and if the lamb can be reached, it may be 

 extracted. As before, the operation should be performed gently and 

 gradually. 



Inversion of the uterus sometimes follows parturition — that is, the 

 uterus turns inside out, like a glove drawn from the finger, and pro- 

 trudes. This is to be attended to at once. Lay the ewe down, return 

 the uterus to its normal condition as well as you can, and restore to its 

 natural position. This is upward (toward the backbone) as well as 

 inward, and about as far back as the fingers, with so much of the hand 

 as will be admitted, can succeed in pushing it. This is a tolerably diffi- 

 cult operation all through. In performing these operations, take care 

 not to scarify any of the parts with the fingernails. 



Old writers on sheep talk of dissecting the lamb and taking it away 



