SHEEP. 305 



will then increase in flesh. Much depends on the condition of the dams; if the mother is 

 fat, the lamb will be sure to be a fine one, other conditions being favorable. 



Wild Sheep of the Mountains. The following description by a recent writer, of 

 the manner in which wild sheep are bred in the Sierra mountain ranges, is so replete with 

 interest that we give it insertion: 



&quot; In the months of May and June, they bring forth their young, in the most solitary and 

 inaccessible crags, far above the nestling rocks of the eagle. I have frequently come upon 

 the beds of the ewes and lambs at an elevation of from twelve to thirteen thousand feet above 

 sea level. These beds are simply oval-shaped hollows, pawed out among loose, , disintegrating 

 rock-chips and sand, upon some sunny spot commanding a good outlook, and partially 

 sheltered from tharwinds that sweep those lofty peaks almost without intermission. Such is 

 the cradle of the little mountaineer, aloft in the very sky; rocked in storms, curtained in 

 clouds, sleeping in thin, icy air; but wrapped in his hairy coat, and nourished by a strong, 

 warm mother, defended from the talons of the eagle and the teeth of the sly coyote, the 

 bonnie lamb grows apace. He soon learns to nibble the tufted rock-grasses and leaves of the 

 white spiraea; his horns begins to shoot, and before summer is done he is strong and agile, 

 and goes forth with the flock, watched by the same divine love that tends the more helpless 

 human lamb in its warm cradle by the fireside.&quot; 



Period of Gestation in Ewes. The period of gestation in ewes is about five 

 months, varying from 145 to 161 days, being an average of about 153 days. 



The result of observations taken by M. Tessier, extending to 912 ewes, was, that 140 

 lambed between the 146th and 150th days mean time 148 days; 676 lambed between the 

 150th and the 154th days mean time 152 days; 96 lambed between the 154th and the 161st 

 days mean time 157 days giving an average mean of 152^ days. 



Management of Lambs. In a cold climate, the lambs that make their appearance 

 early, especially if the flock be large, require considerable time and care in their management 

 to prevent them from being chilled, but where the temperature is warmer little difficulty 

 of this kind is experienced. However, even under the most unfavorable climate the lamb 

 usually gets on well after the first three or four days; especially if the ewe owns it. The 

 ewe will generally lap her lamb dry, and it will soon attempt to take its &quot;refreshments&quot; 

 in a natural order; but if the mother refuse to lick him, according to the true instinct of most 

 of the brute creation, he should be carefully wiped dry, a piece of old flannel being the 

 best for this purpose. It is well to put him soon to the teat, first starting the milk for him. 

 It often requires much patience to induce a lamb to take hold, but persistent effort will in 

 time accomplish it. 



If the weather be cold, the lambs should be attended to at once, as they will soon be 

 chilled. The udder of the ewe should not be allowed to become swollen or caked ; to 

 prevent this, when there is a tendency in this direction, the ewe should be milked by hand. 

 When there is a deficiency of milk, the lamb may be supplied from a new milch cow, or in 

 part from the surplus of some other ewe, which can be made to suckle him if held at the 

 time. The milk from a farrow cow will often kill a lamb unless it has a little water and 

 molasses in it. Milk given a lamb should never be scalded, but slightly warmed. 



Disowning Lambs. Sometimes the ewe will not own her lamb, and the shepherd 

 has considerable trouble in this respect. In such a case the lamb must be made dry as soon 

 as possible, and the ewe must be held while he takes his first meal. After the dam has 

 suckled the larnb in this way a few times, she will sometimes own him without any further 

 trouble, especially if they are put in a - pen by themselves. A dark pen is thought by many 

 to be better than a light one in such a case. 



