HYGIENE. 73 



down and get trampled if put in with the rest of 

 the sheep. Castrating in the evening has proven 

 very successful with some breeders, as it gives the 

 lambs a chance to remain quiet over night. 



At the same time the males are castrated, all the 

 lambs may be docked, branded, tattooed and 

 marked. The easiest and most bloodless method 

 of docking is to heat a pair of pincers red hot 

 and use it to sever the tails; over a dozen lambs 

 can be docked with one heating. 



When the lambs are about four or five months 

 old, or along in August, they are weaned. By this 

 time they have learned to pick up almost enough 

 feed to satisfy their wants, and merely taking 

 them entirely away from the ewes, a day or two, 

 will render them weaned. 



At weaning time it is a good plan to separate 

 the ram lambs from the others, although this is 

 not done sometimes until they are six months of 

 age. 



A healthy lamb will become plump and make a 

 steady growth. A stunted lamb seldom "catches 

 up. " It is remarkable how fast range lambs fat- 

 ten in the fall while trailed back on stubble or 

 field peas. Many a carload has topped the market 

 from just this kind of feed. 



CARE OF THE BUCK. 



If the animal has been kept in good condition 

 and given sufficient exercise, he requires but little 

 attention. A ration of bran and oats fed a month 

 or so before the mating season is conducive to 

 vigor. Sugar beets and mangels should never be 



