616 BREEDING SHEEP. 



and improve his flock up to almost any required standard. The 

 same course will be followed for mutton. Taking a grade Merino 

 or common ewe, it will be crossed for improvement in mutton with' 

 the Southdown, Improved Cotswold or New Leicester, and by care- 

 ful attention to the practice laid down for his guidance, he will soon 

 have a flock which will be a source of pleasure and profit to him. 



Care of Ewes in Lambing Much care and watchfulness 

 are required in attending to the sheepfold during lambing time. 

 If the weather is warm and pleasant and the nights not cold, it is 

 better that the lambing take place in the pasture. Sheep are more 

 disposed to own and take kindly to the young than in the confusion 

 of a small enclosure. In cold weather, however, shelter for that 

 purpose is necessary. The shed or enclosure for yeaning should be 

 kept clean by frequent litterings of straw; but not enough to em- 

 barrass the lamb in rising, as in a dirty enclosure the lambs get 

 fouled in their first attempts to rise, arid the ewe refuses to lick 

 them dry, which increases the danger of freezing. The ewe does not 

 often require assistance in lambing. The labor will sometimes be 

 prolonged for three or four hours, but if let alone nature will gener- 

 ally relieve her. The objection to interfering, except as a last resort, 

 is that the ewe is frightened when caught and her efforts to expel 

 the lamb will cease. 



Care of the Young" Lamb While the lamb is tumbling 

 about and attempting to rise, it is best to be in no haste to interfere. 

 A lamb that gets to the teats without help and gets even a little 

 milk will generally be able to take care of itself. If helped, it will 

 continue to expect it and do but little for itself for two or three days. 

 The same is true when lambs are fed from the spoon or bottle. But 

 if the lamb ceases to make efforts to rise, particularly if the ewe 

 have left off licking it while it is wet and dirty, it is time for the 

 shepherd to render his assistance. It is better not to throw the ewe 

 down, but to put the lamb to the teat in the natural position. The 

 young lamb is usually exceedingly stupid and patience is required. 

 Sometimes milking a little into the young lamb's mouth, holding 

 the latter close to the teat, will induce it to take hold. 



Supplying Alternative Food If the ewe has no milk 

 the lamb should be fed until the natural supply commences with 

 small quantities of the milk of a new milch-cow. This should be 

 mixed, say half and half, with water with enough of molasses to 

 give it the purgative effect of the first milk gently warmed to the 

 natural heat (not scalded and suffered to cool), and then fed through 

 a bottle with a sponge in the opening of it, which the lamb should 

 suck, if it can be induced to do so. If the milk is poured from the 

 bottle or a spoon into its, mouth, it is frequently afterward difficult 

 to induce it to suck, and moreover unless milk is poured into the 

 mouth slowly and with great care no faster than the lamb can 

 swallow a speedy wheezing, the infallible precursor of death, will 



