CASTRATING LAMBS 571 



They should be so far off that their bleating cannot be 

 heard by the ewes, otherwise they are sure to be 

 extremely restless and anxious, and will hardly settle 

 to feed. 



Ewes will generally cease to have milk in about ten 

 or twelve days, if they are not milked regularly, which 

 some farmers are in the habit of doing for the purpose 

 of making cheese. If, however, this is long continued, 

 it cannot fail to weaken them, and reduce them to too 

 low a condition before the rutting season. It will be 

 proper to milk them every second day at first, when 

 the lambs are removed from them, and allow a longer 

 interval at each milking, until they cease to secrete 

 milk, or at least in small quantities, which will be 

 carried off by absorption. 



CASTRATING LAMBS. 



This operation may be performed at any time, from 

 fourteen days old, to that of a month or six weeks. 

 In some districts it is deferred to a much later period. 

 We would, however, recommend it to be done early, 

 as there is much less danger of inflammation occurring 

 at an early period than there is at a later one. At- 

 tention must be paid to the state of health of the 

 animal at the time, as if weakly, or labouring under 

 any other disease, constitutional irritation may ensue, 

 and death is most likely to follow. 



This operation is usually performed by the shep- 

 herd. It is executed by the excision of a portion of the 

 scrotum or cod with a sharp scalpel, and pushing out 

 the testicles with the spermatic cord attached to them. 

 Some shepherds perform the operation of dividing the 

 cord with their teeth. 



It is evident that this must be a. painful and 



