General Care of Sheep. 519 



cwe-pen into which the lambs find their way, while the mothers 

 are prevented from entering because of the limited size of the 

 openings, called the ''lamb- creep." In this space place alow, 

 flat- bottomed trough, with an obstruction lengthwise across the 

 top to prevent the lamb from jumping into it. In this trough 

 sprinkle a little meal especially palatable to the lamb, such as 

 ground oats, bran, shorts, com meal, oil meal — one or all, — vary- 

 ing the mixture to suit the changing tastes of the young things. 

 They will at first take but little of this feed, but soon become 

 regular attendants at the trough through habit impelled by hearty 

 appetite. The feed in the trough at any time should not be more 

 than will be consumed before the next supply is due. If for any 

 reason there is an over-supply, it should be removed and the 

 trough thoroughly cleaned before the next allowance is placed 

 therein. Feed should be fresh and have no smell of the stable 

 about it; that left over from time to time can be given to the pigs. 



793. Turning to pasture. — With the springing of the grass, 

 ewes and lambs should be turned to pasture for a short time dur- 

 ing the warmer part of the day. It is generally best to accom- 

 plish the change to pasture gradually and while the grass is short. 

 After a few hours spent in the sunshine, nibbling at the grass, 

 the ewes and lambs should be returned to shelter, where a full 

 feed awaits them. When the grass has become ample and nutri- 

 tious, stable feeding may be dropped for ewes, or both ewes and 

 lambs, according to the plan followed. With good pasture, breed- 

 ing ewes need no grain; indeed, we may look forward to the 

 pasture season as marking the time to ''draw the grain from 

 their systems," as it is termed by feeders. 



In some instances pastures are so stimulating to the milk flow 

 of ewes that the over-supply of rich milk thereby induced causes 

 digestive derangement and sudden death with young lambs. The 

 shepherd should watch closely and forestall such trouble by re- 

 moving the ewes from the pasture after a few hours grazing each 

 day, and giving hay or other dry feeds, thereby shutting off a 

 part of the milk flow. 



794. Weaning lambs. — If it is desirable to push the lambs in 

 growth beyond the possibilities of the pasture, at a convenient 



