620 Feeds and Feeding. 



point let there be a " lamb-creep," which is a passage-way made 

 of slats or pickets so placed that the lambs can pass through, 

 while the ewes are prevented because of their size. In a space 

 accessible by way of the creep, place a trough for feeding grain. 

 Whenever the lamb passes through the creep it should find some- 

 thing in this trough tempting the appetite, — oats, bran, pea meal 

 and corn meal constituting the leading articles. Grain never gives 

 such large returns as when fed to thrifty young animals, and the 

 growing lamb is no exception. Lambs of the mutton breeds, more 

 or less helpless at birth, are lusty at four months of age, and will be 

 found grazing regularly beside their dams in pasture when not at 

 rest or eating grain beyond the lamb-creep. At this age, for 

 their own good as well as that of the ewes, weaning time is at 

 hand. Let them then be so far separated from their dams that 

 neither can hear the bleating of the other. For a few days the 

 ewes should be held on short pasture or kept in the yard upon 

 dry feed. Their udders should be examined, and if necessary, as 

 is often the case with the best mothers, they should be drained of 

 milk a few times lest inflammation arise. At weaning time the 

 lambs should be put on the best pasture and given a liberal sup- 

 ply of grain in addition, in order to mitigate the effects of weaning. 

 To this end new clover seeding is especially relished, while young 

 second-crop clover is also satisfactory. An especially choice bite 

 may always be provided for the lambs at this important time by 

 a little forethought on the part of the stockman. 



795. Water and salt. — Opinions with regard to the amount of 

 water necessary for sheep vary more than with any other domes- 

 tic animal. Miller of Canada, who has had large experience with 

 English mutton sheep, writes:^ ''I have noticed that wherever 

 sheep are fed so that they will not drink water they are fed in 

 nearly the proper manner. In this country, where we have such 

 warm summers, it is hard to do that, but the nearer we come to 

 it the nearer we are feeding in a perfect way." In countries 

 with heavy dews and ample succulent feed in summer, and where 

 root crops are largely used in winter, water may possibly be de- 

 nied sheep, but under most conditions it ia a necesaity and should 



' Wis. Farm Inst. BuL 7. 



