TENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 493 



free from unpleasant smells and the possibility of contagion from un- 

 healthy matter is greatly minimized. These may appear, to some, unnec- 

 essary measures to adopt but those who have noted the disastrous results 

 brought about by carelessness will readily see the desirability of carrying 

 out these suggestions. 



Much of the so-called bad or good luck is usually traceable to the 

 treatment the ewes have received during the pregnant period and a 

 high rate of mortality amongst ewes and lambs is often the result of their 

 being kept on cold wet or barren soil. 



ASSISTANCE IN LAMBING. 



As a general rule it is better not to interfere too soon but it is easy 

 to tell when to assist Nature. In all cases where help is given carbolized 

 oil should be freely used on your hands and arms before operating, and 

 in bad cases and when a ewe has been assisted with decomposing lambs 

 the carbolic oil should be poured into the vagina by raising the hind legs 

 of the ewe and allowing it to flow in. Great care should be exercised in 

 such cases and when disease is rampant to wash your hands, etc., with 

 carbolic soap after each operation and freely use disinfectants, in fact, 

 you should never go from a bad case to assist a healthy ewe without tak- 

 ing every possible precaution to prevent contagion. All the surroundings 

 such as litter and food of any case where disease was apparent should 

 be removed and burned and the pen thoroughly disinfected without do- 

 lay. A barrel with a hinged lid with some nice dry hay in it is a capital 

 place to put a sick or weakly lamb in and is really much more effective 

 than placing it near a fire. 



For a very weak lamb, a large flat India rubber bag filled with hot 

 water is far preferable to fire warmth and has been very successful in 

 saving life. 



TREATMENT AND FEEDING OF EWES AND LAMBS. 



It is important to get the ewes with lambs out of the shed pens as soon 

 as possible except in cases where lambs may be too weak. Sunshine and 

 fresh air are as essential to their growth as food. Of course the ewes 

 must be fed so they will give large quantities of milk. If you will notice 

 the condition of young lambs in flocks where different methods of feeding 

 are practiced you can readily see what proper feeding to the ewe does 

 for the lambs. There is marked difference when one lot has been fed corn 

 or corn fodder with timothy hay and the other fed linseed cake, oats, and 

 bran, the lambs from the former being weak simply because they have 

 never received sufficient nourishment from the dams. The ewes were un- 

 able to give it to the lambs because their own food did not give such 

 nourishment to their bodies. Corn and timothy hay do not build bone 

 and flesh; they are fat-producers. Linseed-cake, oats and bran, together 

 with clover hay, stimulate the milk flow and indirectly produce large, 

 vigorous lambs. The gain from properly feeding the ewes at this time is 

 so great that all breeders should give the subject their careful considera- 

 tion. Where rye can iDe raised sheep breeders are fortunate, because a 



