EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



547 



poorer quality of roughages, such as straw and corn stalks are used, a 

 little grain should be given. One-half pound of oats, or oats and bran, 

 the latter in proportions of two parts of oats to one of bran makes a 

 good grain ration. A succulent feed is necessary for the most economi- 

 cal wintering of sheep. Koot crops, such as rutabagas, turnips, carrots 

 or silage can be used. Two pounds of either root crops or silage per 

 head per day gives good results. Mouldy feed of any kind is objection- 

 able. Grain and water troughs should be kept clean. 



CARE OF EWES AT LAMBING TIME. ' 



As lambing time approaches, give the ewes a little additional feed 

 and trim the wool around the udders. They will need attention both 

 day and night to see that the lambs do not get chilled before they are 

 dry; that the mothers have milk for their lambs and that they will own 

 them. If a lamb is chilled even to the point where it is stiff, it can 

 usually be revived by putting it into warm water until the circulation 

 is restored, wrapping it in a dry blanket until it is dry, giving a feed 

 of milk, then returning it to its mother. After a lamb is dry and has 

 a feed of its mother's milk, it will stand a lot of cold. The best success 

 is obtained by placing ewes about to lamb into four feet square lamb- 

 ing pens until the lambs are from two to three days old. 



DOCKING AND CASTRATING LAMBS. 



All lambs should be docked, (tails removed) regardless of whether they 

 are to be kept as breeders or marketed. Docked lambs look trimmer, 

 are cleaner and are in less danger of being infected with maggots during 

 the hot sultry weather. The best time to dock lambs, is when they 

 are from ten days to two weeks old. At that age, they bleed but little 

 and there is little shock to the lamb. A sharp knife or docking iron is 

 used and the tail cut about one inch from the junction with the body. 

 Apply a disinfectant after the operation, also a little pine tar if the 

 flies are bad. 



All male lambs not intended for breeding purposes can well be 

 castrated at the same time they are docked. Ram lambs, after they 

 are four months old, do not grow as rapidly as wether lambs and do 

 not fill out as well, consequently they command a lower price on the 

 market. The following tables gives the prices received from sale of ram 

 lambs, vs. wether lambs, from the Chatham Experiment Station. The 

 ram lambs were pure breds that were not true to type, for the breed : 



TABLE 30 — DATA SHOWING LOSS IN SALE PRICE OCCASIONED BY FAILURE 



TO CASTRATE LAMBS. 



