SHEEP AND GOATS 83 



be allowed to one ram. The last born lambs are often weaker than those 

 born earlier in the season. This indicates that it is not advisable to 

 breed the ram to too many ewes. In a large flock, the ram should be put 

 with the ewes for an hour at the end of each day. In a small flock, he may 

 be allowed to run with the ewes all the time. Where hand coupling is 

 not practiced, one should paint the brisket between the ram's fore-leg with 

 paint. Red lead and linseed oil make a desirable paint for this purpose. 

 This mark w r ill indicate that the ewes have been bred. After 16 days 

 the ram may be painted another color. By this means the breeder may 

 know whether the ewes are returning. The ram should be fed liberally 

 during the breeding season, but not too well. A mixture of equal parts 

 of oats, bran and oil-cake, say one pint, both mornings and evenings, will 

 prove a good ration. 



Winter Care of Ewes. A lamb gets its start on the right or wrong 

 way before it is born. The pregnant ewes should be sufficiently fed, but 

 not overfed during winter. They should be given plenty of exercise; the 

 more they get, the healthier the lamb crop will be. The feeding of too 

 much grain just previous to lambing time should be avoided. Bran, oats, 

 oil meal and clover make an ideal ration for the breeding ewe. Silage and 

 roots are good succulent feeds, but must be fed in small quantities and 

 must be of good quality. 



Care of Young Lambs. Lambs should be weaned when 3}^ to 4 

 months old, and put on fresh pasture. The secret of successful and profit- 

 able lamb raising is to keep them growing and in good condition from 

 birth to maturity. Lambs should be given grain as soon as they can 

 thoroughly digest it. In order that they may eat at will, it is necessary 

 to build creeps for them. The feeds given and the amount will depend 

 largely on the purpose for which they are being prepared. These being 

 fitted for the market should be fed liberally with grain until they are of 

 market age. Their ration may consist almost wholly of corn. A good 

 grain ration for lambs just beginning to eat is ground corn, one part; 

 crushed oats, one part; linseed oil meal, one part; and wheat bran, 

 two parts. 



All lambs should be docked and all males intended for the open market 

 should be castrated. Lambs that are not castrated often sell for at least 

 $1.50 per 100 pounds less than castrated lambs. This does not take into 

 consideration the loss of flesh due to activity of ram lambs. The lamb 

 that is not docked gets filthy around the dock and presents a poor appear- 

 ance on the market. They may be docked and castrated when about 

 two weeks old. It is much more convenient to do both at the same time, 

 and no evil results will follow if the operations are performed in the right 

 way. 



Marketing the Lambs. It is usually best to market the lambs at 

 weaning time. This will occur about July 1st. There is great demand 

 for lambs weighing from 65 to 70 pounds. They furnish a superior prod- 



