SHEEP. 309 



into threads will break in places. If scanty, the wool will be harsh and lack moisture. In 

 sheep and lambs well fed, the wool will be soft and oily to the touch, as well as of a uniform 

 texturl. 



Weaning Lambs. The time generally allowed for the lamb to run with the mother 

 is about four months ; if they do this longer, it is a detriment to the sheep to be obliged to furnish 

 milk in such large quantities, and so long a time; besides the lambs are quite as well off to 

 depend more upon other food. The first step to be taken is to separate the lambs and their 

 dams as far as possible, so that they may not hear each other s bleating, the lambs in a 

 stable and the sheep in their yard. The lambs should be better fed than previously to make 

 up the loss of the milk; for it is a drawback on the growth of a lamb to be allowed to lose 

 flesh at this period. 



The ewes should have an opposite course of treatment; they should be fed with dry hay 

 in order to check the milk secretion ; or if turned into a pasture immediately, the pasturage 

 for a week or more should be scanty for this reason. If allowed a large amount of juicy, 

 nutritious food, there will be danger of distention of their udders by the amount of milk 

 secreted, to the extent of causing inflammation or garget. 



It will be well to have the sheep milked once a day for a week or so after the separation, 

 to avoid all danger of this kind, as many valuable ewes have been spoiled for breeding 

 purposes through neglect and carelessness in this respect. Some breeders of large experience 

 separate the ewes and lambs for the day, and turn them together at night that they may in 

 this manner relieve their distended udders; others turn the lambs in for an hour during the 

 day. 



Some such care should be taken, and the farmer who, as is often the practice, neglects 

 to do this, does so to the detriment of his flock, and his consequent loss. Whenever the 

 udder of the sheep becomes inflamed with danger of serious trouble, such as garget or 

 abscess, a good remedy recommended by high authority, is to give a tablespoonful of Epsom 

 salts with a teaspoonful of ginger (in powder), mixing the compound with water. For the 

 two following days give morning and evening twenty grains of saltpetre. 



This .remedy is said to so increase the action of the kidneys and cause a consequent 

 determination of blood to those organs, as to greatly relieve the udder. Dry hay should also 

 be fed instead of grass, until the difficulty is over. As soon as the sheep are dried of their 

 milk, they should be put in fine pasturage, and well kept. They should have an abundance 

 in all seasons, with the single exception above mentioned. Both sheep and lambs should 

 always have a good supply of fresh water to resort to whenever they wish. When the lambs 

 are first separated from the sheep, many breeders put one or two old tame sheep in 

 with them for company. They are inclined to bleat less after the dams when this is done; 

 after two or three days companionship with the old sheep in a yard or other enclosure, they 

 are turned with them into nice pasturage, and will soon learn to follow them as their leaders. 



A little extra food, such as oats or meal, should be given each lamb every day, which 

 feed should be increased when the pasturage begins to fail in the autumn. Nature requires 

 material for building up all the cells and tissues, and meeting the various demands that are 

 made for the constantly increasing structure of the growing animal, and unless the material 

 is furnished in the shape of food, the animal will be stunted in growth and imperfect in 

 other respects, therefore we feel the constant necessity of urging upon farmers to feed 

 liberally, with good, nutritious food. 



General Management of Sheep. In order to be profitable, sheep should have 

 good care during all seasons of the year. They should be provided with good pasturage with 

 plenty of shade and fresh water in summer, and in winter with warm, comfortable quarters, with 

 a sufficient quantity of nutritious food suited to their wants. It is very important that they 



VOL. II. 18 



