Ch. XXXIX.] ON LAMBS. 459 



have repeatedly seen them, when to all appearance dead, brought com- 

 pletely about by being laid a few hours in a basket with some wool, or 

 placed near the kitchen fire, and a very little warm milk poured occasionally 

 down their throats. The ewe also sometimes, though rarely, deserts her 

 lamb, or she dies in labour; and in such cases, it becomes necessary either to 

 suckle the lamb by hand with cow's milk, or to put it with a ewe which has 

 lost her own. This latter mode, however, is not easily accomplished, and 

 therefore a plan is frequently adopted of deceiving her by stripj)ing the 

 dead lamb of its skin, and stitching it round one which is alive — either a 

 twin, or one which has lost its dam ; she will thus be soon reconciled to 

 the foster lamb, and in a couple of days the skin may be taken off. 



When the lamb tups have acquired a little strength — say at not more than 

 about eight or ten days old — those which are not intended to be reserved as 

 rams should be castrated. Their dams are therefore collected within a 

 small fold, with openings through which the lambs are suffered to escape, 

 and then being each successively caught up, and held in the arms of an 

 assistant with its limbs distended, the operation is performed by the shep- 

 herd, who grasps the scrotum with his left hand in such manner as to press 

 forward the testicles and render the skin lying over them tight. Two 

 incisions are then made through the bag, one over each testicle, sufficiently 

 large to allow them to pass, and they are thus easily extracted.* The weather 

 should iiowever be dry and mild, as well as, if possible, cloudy ; or if warm, 

 towards evening is the better time for its performance. 



The lambs, whether male or female, may also at the same time be 

 " docked," or have their tails cut off at about two or three inches from its 

 root. This gives a square and handsome appearance to the quarter, besides 

 preserving the animal from depositing ordure on its fleece. It is, however, 

 objected to, so far as ewes are concerned, by several intelligent breeders, 

 whose flocks are fed in exposed situations ; they not unjustly conceiving 

 that in severe weather a long bushy tail affords considerable warmth and 

 protection to the udder. In opposition to this, however, it is said that the 

 tail very often occasions great embarrassment in yeaning. If the opera- 

 tions be carefully done, it is surprising how little loss they occasion ; 

 it need hardly, however, be observed, that castration should never be 

 committed to any other than a very experienced man. 



The lambs may then be turned along with the ewes into the common 

 pasture, the period of the year depending, however, upon tlie state of the 

 grass, the situation of the farm, and the time when they were dropped, 

 as well as the object of their disposal. Thus, if intended to be sold to the 

 butcher, the ewes are put into the best of pasture, and if that be not in 

 high order, they must be fed upon turnips or rape, and if necessary, with 

 hay and bruised oil-cake, so as to produce a good flow of milk ; for in 

 London and most of our large towns grass-lamb is constantly brought to 

 market so early as Easter, previous to which, unless where fog has been 

 reserved, there can be no grass fit to answer the purpose. They are usually 

 slaughtered at from three to four months old ; the gimners being rather 

 more forward than the wedders in consequence of their earlier disposition 

 to fatten, as well as the latter being somewhat thrown back by their 

 castration. 



House-lamb is always ready for the market before Christmas, and as it 



* Although there is less danger when the operation is performed at an early period, 

 it has however been observed, that, on horned sheep it is generally preferred to perform 

 it later ; perhaps when the lambs are two months old ; which causes the horns to grow 

 more full, and make them look handsomer. — Mountain Shepherd's Manual, p. 10. 



