452 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



the pure Leicester, and on the average better 

 weights. 



All of the tups are purchased at one year old, 

 and kept for two, sometimes for three seasons, 

 according as they are found to answer the purpose 

 required of them. They, like the ewes, are also 

 seen to, that they be in proper condition, some time 

 before being allowed intercourse with them. About 

 the end of November and beginning of December 

 the tups are removed, and the ewes are shortened 

 in their quantity of turnips to one feed of a few 

 hours daily throughout the winter — less or more 

 according to the mildness or severity of the wea- 

 ther. When off the turnip break, they either have 

 the liberty of part of the one and two-year-old 

 grasses, or more generally turned to the hill pas- 

 ture, where they have the heather and furze as well 

 as healthful exercise. Great care is now taken to 

 prevent them leaping fences or ditches, lest the 

 embryo should become inverted in the uterus of 

 some of them, and thereby cause great difficulty 

 and danger in parturition. 



Although in some years it is found unnecessary, 

 and not done, generally speaking, the bathing or 

 rather running of the ewes is resorted to for de- 

 stroying the well-known insect which infests the 

 sheep, commonly termed kade or tick, with a cer- 

 tain poisonous mixture prepared for the purpose, 

 and sold by the most of ordinary druggists. At 

 one time this was done usually before tbe tupping 

 season, but now from experience it is believed to 

 have an injurious effect in liniitinr/ the number of 

 twins, and is therefore deferred until the end of 

 December or beginning of January, according 

 as weather permits, when they are very gently 

 handled by the shepherd, and no bad results, 

 such as abortion, which might then theoreti- cally 

 be dreaded, ensue. As the lambing season draws 

 near, the turnips are gradually increased to the 

 ewes, until at length, if they are not all the more 

 likely to get into good condition (approaching fat), 

 they are allowed what they choose to eat, so that 

 they may not only be full of healthy vigour for 

 bringing forth their young, but likely to yield 

 abundance of nourishing milk afterwards. 



Some may unhesitatingly condemn such liberal 

 and full feeding at this time, lest the ewe, by 

 getting into a condition predisposing her to it, 

 should become more liable to and fall a victim to an 

 inflammatory attack. Without a doubt such danger 

 does exist ; but a distinction must be drawn between 

 the healthy, vigorous state then desired, and the 

 one that exceeds it, and which very properly can- 

 not be too much dreaded. When within a day or 

 two of the time of production — preparation having 

 been previously made as to the repairing and plen- 

 tiful bedding of the lambing shed, getting a supply 

 of turnips stored conveniently near, &c., &c. — the 

 part of the flock which are known by mark as those 

 which produce first, are drawn out from the others 

 and confined in a grass-field, where turnips are 

 carted to them, and where they remain during the 

 day, giving birth to their lambs, closely waited on 

 either by the regular shepherd himself, or one 

 hired in to assist him, to aid any of the ewes 

 that may have difficulty in lambing ; if cold, taking 

 them to the shelter of the nearest place, or to little 



enclosures, made here and there for the purpose, of 

 hurdles and strav/, until they get afoot, and begin 

 to follow and suck their dams without assistance, 

 when there is very little danger of them. 



At nightfall the ewes are gently driven home in- 

 to the lambing-sheJ,* where they receive the same 

 attention, being waited on as through the day ; the 

 person that does so turning those that lamb into 

 the small houses prepared for them until the morn- 

 ing, a few turnips being given them from the store at 

 hand. When the morning is favourable — that is 

 to say, dry over head, and not exceedingly cold — 

 the lambs produced over-night are, with their 

 dams, turned to grass some time during the fore- 

 noon; twins to young grass, single generally to the 

 older grasses, the fields near the steading being 

 first stocked, the older lambs being gradually 

 transferred to the more distant, to give place to the 

 younger. In wet or severe weather, men, women, 

 or boys are employed to assist the shepherd in 

 driving ewes and lambs into shelter, and keeping 

 them in it, plenty of turnips, &c., being laid down 

 to prevent them wandering out seeking food amid 

 the blast. At such a time, too, warm cow-milk is 

 administered from a bottle carried by the shepherd 

 in his pocket, to any of the lambs that seem really 

 in want of it. It may do all very well for some to 

 protest and affirm " cow milk to be not only ob- 

 jectionable for young lambs, but even extremely 

 hurtful ; and that, by taking advantage of some of 

 the ewes that are extra good milkers, its use may 

 wholly be dispensed with." Such may succeed 

 excellently in moderate weather, and with a few 

 ewes and lambs in fold or small fields ; but where 

 scores are distributed here and there in large fields 

 and in cold, hard weather, when each ewe, how- 

 ever good a milker, has plenty to do with her own off- 

 spring, at such a time a few mouthfuls of warm 

 cow-milk, to such as seem suflfering from cold and 

 hunger combined, proves of incalculable benefit — 

 the means of preventing them totally succumbing 

 to their deadly influence. For without a doubt, 

 food, in abundance, in such weather, both to ewes 

 and lambs, is invaluable, as without it, shelter, 

 however good, loses one-half of its renovating eflfect. 



When a stormy day threatens to be succeeded 

 by as stormy and inclement a night, the youngest 

 lambs with their dams are enclosed by a net in a 

 sheltered corner of their respective fields, and straw 

 carted out to add to their shelter and comfort; and 

 in cases of urgent necessity, many of them are 

 taken home to sheds and houses about the stead- 

 ing — a good cart-shed, fitted up in a temporary 

 manner with straw, &c., being very serviceable for 



* This is a long enclosure made by the use of hur- 

 dles on one side of the stack-yard, which has previ- 

 ously, during winter, been completely cleared of the 

 stacks which occupied it. To keep the ewes clean 

 and comfortable, it is now and then freshly bedded 

 with clean dry straw. A stone wall, pointed with 

 lime, encloses the north side of this shed, alongside 

 of which, and facing into the shed, are a range of 

 small houses formed with wood and straw — dry, 

 warm, and comfortable — and into which the ewes 

 with their young are confined for t". Iter till the 

 morning. 



