WALTEE OF HENLEY 31 



fall out they cause it to be killed and salted and dried like 

 the others, and then they cut it up and distribute it in the 

 household among the servants and labourers, and they 

 shall then yield as much as they cost, for by this means 

 and with the skins they can replace as many. But I 

 do not wish you to do this. See that your sheep are 

 in houses between Martinmas and Easter, I say not if 

 the weather be dry and the fold be prepared properly 

 and strewed, and if the weather be fine your sheep 

 may lie there, and let those that are . in houses have 

 more or less hay, according to the weather. And marl 

 the ground of the sheepfold each fortnight, as I have 

 said before, and let it be strewed on the top, and 

 know you shall have from these more profit than if they 

 lie in the fold. And if wethers be in the house for a 

 storm let them be by themselves, and let them have the 

 coarsest hay or hay mixed with wheat or oat straw, well 

 threshed. Why ? I will tell you. They are driven for 

 the night in the fold, and by chance the morrow also, that 

 they cannot pasture, and then come to the manger 

 starving, and push back the weak and choke themselves 

 without chewing the small hay. And when the sheep has 

 eaten its fill it ruminates, and that which is not chewed 

 cannot be chewed again, but remains within its body, 

 and wastes unnaturally, whereby several have perished. 

 And if straw be mixed with the hay they will chew it better 

 because of the coarseness of the straw. And if you have 

 lack of hay the pods and straw of peas are good for sheep. 



HOW YOU OUGHT TO KEEP LAMBS. 



When your lambs are yeaned let the shepherd take 

 away the wool about the teats, for often it happens that 

 the wool adheres to the mouths of the lambs from the 

 teats, and they swallow it, and it remains in their 

 stomachs, and thereby have many died. 



