8 May, 1908.] Trcatiuciit of Lainhiiig cvucs 301 



and stupid immediately after lambing, and move off at once. Especiallv 

 is this the casq if they have been mated with unshapely rams, the worst 

 class to cause these troubles being the sloping shouldered ones ; with these 

 the point of the shoulder stands out, and they always have a high wither 

 and a long weak neck, with the head above the average in size. At the 

 same time, whatever class of rams is used there will always be a few ewcs 

 uhat will give trouble and die in lambing. 



Again, four and five year old merino ewes that have had two and three 

 lambs to merino rams will give trouble, if joined to any of the British 

 breeds that are coarse boned and rough in shape. They appear to become 

 .set to merino lamb size. If the mermo ewes mentioned were reared in a 

 wet climate on natural pasture, they would not grow as lambs, and, up to 

 two-tooths, like our northern bred ewes do. If, in addition to this, thev 

 were not far descended from some of our large framed merinoes, they 

 would, with the rough rams mentioned, have an hereditarv tendency to throw 

 larger lambs than their size warranted. This is the main reason whv some 

 beginners in breeding cross-breds have more than their share of losses. A 

 ewe stunted as a lamb never develops for breeding purposes like one well 

 reared. 



There are breeds of bad mothers, more in merinoes than in British 

 bleeds. Stud sires of a wild, restless disposition assist towards bad mothers 

 K, the flocks, but more fault lies with the want of better thriving abilities. 

 In the case of stud merino ewes, and some of the most woollv flock ewes, 

 there is such a growth of wool about the udder and thighs that often a 

 lamb is hours before he can drop on the teat, and sucks awav at \f>lkv 

 locks that hang about these parts. The result is that if the lamb has arrived 

 in wet and cold weather he dies from cold and starvation through no fault 

 (if the ewe or the lamb. At times, through carelessness and rough shear- 

 ing, ewes' teats are cut off and close up. Nothing can be done in cases 

 like this, except to earmark the ewe when found, as a cast ewe. Verv 

 special stud ewes could be clo.sely watched at lambing time and the lambs 

 put on foster mothers. 



A good plan with stud ewes is to arrange one day a fortnight on which 

 to pick out all ewes showing a few weeks from lambing. Place them care- 

 fully down on their side in the usual way, but in.stead of grasping the flank 

 take hold a little further back on the thigh. When in that position keep 

 the head held up, with the left leg, and shear all wool closelv from the 

 front and inside of the thighs and around the udder. This wool can be 

 thrown in a bag and saved ; it is lost in most cases as the ewes strip it natu- 

 rally a few weeks after lambing. This clearing of wool from aljout 

 the udder and thighs brings about nearly the same conditions that exist in 

 rrossbreds. With crossbreds the best percentages of lambs are recorded. 

 When left to lamb without close attention, the clean faced and Ijare legged 

 class of sheep, all other things being equal, gives the best percentage. 



Merino ewes should have the wool cut from their eyes before lambing 

 as they will see the lamb better and will be less nervous. ^^'hen sheep 

 are wool blind they cannot thrive, for, apart from the restriction of sight, 

 they become verv timid. 



The more woollv the sheep the more trouble there is with fly-blow, espe- 

 cially in stud weaners if wormy or otherwise unhealthy. The tail parts of 

 lambs or young ewes are never shorn bv shearers if the least bit dirty or 

 wrinkly ; on the other hand, crossbreds bred well on to the Leicester type 

 are the least .subject, being the most bare about the hind parts and with no 

 tendencv to folds there. In lambintr ewes, if at all woollv from the udder 



