152 WESTERN GRAZING GROUNDS AND FOREST RANGES 



generally done at the same time, when the lambs are 

 about three weeks old, and seldom causes any losses 

 among them. The marking is done as with calves, and 

 most sheepmen use different marks for the sexes, so as 

 to aid in picking out the wether lambs from the band 

 when they are wanted. 



The castrating is also done exactly as with calves, 

 although some operators after cutting off the end of the 

 bag or scrotum place the lamb over a log or the top rail 

 of the corral, so as to be just at the right height, grab 

 the protruding testicles with the teeth and pull them out 

 until the cords break. In this way the work is performed 

 with remarkable rapidity. 



In docking, the tail is laid over a log and with a sharp 

 hatchet, chisel or hunting knife is taken off so as to 

 leave a stump about four inches long. Occasionally 

 a lamb is fly-blown in the end of the docked tail, but 

 ordinarily the wound heals up rapidly. Nothing is put 

 on it to cure it unless it is a little pine tar, which some 

 sheepmen use to keep the flies away. 



Night Herding. Often it is necessary to leave a large 

 number of ewes out all night on account of the lambs 

 being too weak to follow in to the main camp. In such 

 cases the herder works them as closely together as pos- 

 sible and a night man looks after them during the night, 

 keeping fires burning and in some outfits cowbells and 

 lighted lanterns are hung about in the vicinity of the 

 sheep to frighten away any prowling coyotes or bobcats. 

 Many owners furnish fireworks to be set off at intervals 

 during the night for the same purpose. 



Following the Drop Band. Some owners employ men 

 -pi-dally to carry in the smaller lambs. They follow 

 the dnp band about and as it works toward the main 



