II Jan., 1909.] Stud Merino Ewes. 15 



STUD MERINO EWES. 



H. W. Ham, Sheep Expert. 



Through the months of November, December, and January merino 

 breeders have occasionally to go through their stud ewes and clean eyes and 

 tails. To cut the wool away from the eyes during the time the grass is 

 seeding is a necessity, but it is of greater importance that die tail parts be 

 cleaned. Often ewes cannot be served by the ram through this. 



As soon as a stud flock is worked up to be of any merit and fair length 

 of staple, and fair density and good body covering is reavhed, then more 

 or less tail and head covering comes along with it. The better and more 

 high class a flock of merino sheep becomes, the more attention is needed. 

 No matter what a breeder's aim may be, sheep will always vary ; some 

 become excessively covered and others too bare pointed and thin. Bare 

 legged and bare faced sheep are usually thin and wasty below and not 

 filled up very well with w'ool under and about the tail. These give less 

 fly-blow troubles than the better covered class. 



Stud ewes should be cleaned well about the tail, and burrs, &;c., 

 removed from under the rams to give them the final chance at this time 

 of year to serve the ewes well. Burrs, both around a rain's pizzie, and 

 over the tails of ewes, conduce to make the ram sore, for he ineffectually 

 serves the ewes many times owing to them being excessively woolled. Som.e 

 ewes will be found with the nipple cut off, the result of careless shearing. 

 It nearly always contracts somewhat in healing and this makes it harder 

 for the ram to serve quickly. Often ewes are closed up like mares, but 

 this can be rectified at times by similar treatment to that prescribed for 

 mares. 



There is also a scald caused by a black gummy substance on many 

 stud ewes that is very sensitive and sore. It is worse some seasons than 

 others. Ewes will not carry a heavy ram for more than a few seconds as this 

 scald is very painful. The wool and folds are pressed on it bv the ram's 

 w-eight and if a ram is (as a stud rami usually is) thick set and heavy, 

 and consequently slow of service, then very few ewes get in lamb. For 

 scald there is nothmg to equal three or four of the leading sheep dip 

 powders, at a strength of one pint of powder to five gallons of water and 

 kept well stirred. Put the ewe on her side, cross the hind legs, holding 

 the bottom leg across behind the hocks of the topmost leg and mop the 

 dip water on with a cloth. The water will evaporate, leaving the powder 

 adhering to the skin and wool and its action is then to dry up the scald. 

 It will also', after three or ffiur ;i])plications, begin to turn the folds and 

 loose skin a dark colour, and later on, come right away. When shearing 

 the wool and dirt awa\ , care should be taken that no very severe shear 

 cuts are made, as the action of the powder dips, if the strong sediment 

 that settles in the bottom of the liquid be put on, is likel)' to be too severe 

 and a few ewes may be lost if carelessly treated. 



In stud weaner ewes the scald is always getting flylihnvn. If it is 

 dried up, and the folds removed, the cause of flvblow in this class of sheep 

 disappears. ?^Iaggots cannot live and thrive if they come in contact with 

 powder dip provided it is of fair strength. Applying spirits of tar, 

 sprinkled out of a bottle with a hole in the cork, or from a scent bottle 

 with an adiustable top, is the best way to immediatelv kill the maggots, 

 and this method is adopted by the best Tasmanian breeders ; it is instant 

 death to the maggots, is very searching, does not take the wool off nor 

 discolour it. 



