The Production of " Hothouse " Lambs 233 



No particular method of getting the ewes to breed early has been fol- 

 lowed, since it has never been clearly shown that one method has proved 

 better than another. Therefore the ewes and the rams have been turned 

 together and allowed to breed at will. The only precaution taken has 

 been to see that the ewes were in as good a condition as possible when 

 turned out, and that the rams were young and active. The results from 

 this treatment of the flock have been good. 



No attention has been paid to what cross would be the most profitable, 

 since all the lambs have been slaughtered for market and none have been 

 kept for breeding purposes, the flock being maintained by purchase. 

 Three rams have been kept with the flock for the reason that competition 

 among the rams makes them more active. 



Care has been taken that the ewes should have access to plenty of water 

 and should receive plenty of salt. Late in the pasture season the pasture 

 has been supplemented with green foods of different kinds, varying with 

 the year: rape, cabbage, beet tops, and other green foods have been used 

 to good advantage in this way. The whole object in feeding the ewes 

 after they have become pregnant is to make " dairy " sheep of them: 

 that is, to put them in condition to give as much milk as possible for the 

 use of the lamb. 



Fall and winter management 



The fall and winter management of the flock may be discussed together, 

 under four heads: the care of the rams; the care of the ewes; the care of 

 the young lambs; slaughtering and marketing the lambs. 



Care of the rams. — When the flock is taken from pasture the rams are 

 separated and quartered separately until the next pasture season. They 

 have received no particular care except to see that they were kept in good 

 condition. It has not been found necessary to feed them anything except 

 a good quality of hay, together with clean water and a sufficient amount 

 of salt. 



Care of the ewes. — Until they have lambed, the ewes have been fed 

 clover hay alone unless they were out of condition, in which case a small 

 amount of grain has been fed immediately after taking them from pas- 

 ture. They have been put into dry, clean, well-ventilated pens, each 

 pen containing from ten to fifteen ewes. The pens have been so protected 

 that the water provided for the ewes has seldom frozen, the temperature 

 rarely falling below 40° F. The pens have been cleaned once or twice 

 during the season, and sufficient bedding has been provided to keep them 

 dry at all times. Salt has always been supplied. 



The lambs have been dropped in the regular pens, although it has been 

 thought that it would be better to provide an artificially warmed lambing 

 15 



