530 Feeds and Feeding, 



with a Dorset ram, preferring that breed because the lambs are 

 often doubles, are hardy and fatten quickly. Some breeders pre- 

 fer Hampsliires for sires, because of their large, growthy lambs- 

 Oue of the greatest difficulties in breeding Christmas lambs 

 is to have them dropped suflaciently early to be large enough for 

 sjilo when the market demands them. The breed and condi- 

 tion of the ewe has much to do in this matter. The ram is 

 turned with the ewes about the first of June. It has been found 

 that keeping the ewes shut up and away from most of their food 

 for a few days, and giving them extra food before tui-ning in 

 the rams, conduces to breeding. Even with favorable conditions 

 all ewes will not breed at the desired time, and to secure 400 

 lambs about 500 ewes are necessary. The ewes which fail to 

 breed are sold early, and those breeding late give lambs useful 

 for later sales. Ewes which are successful breeders are kept as 

 long as possible, since it is found that one lambing in November 

 is more likely to breed at the right time the following year than 

 one lambing in April or May. 



819. Care and feed of ewes. — The barns in which the ewes are 

 kept are such as permit maintaining an average temperature as 

 nearly 50 deg. Fahr. as possible in winter, the mercury never 

 going below 40 degrees. The folds or pens in this barn have 320 

 square feet space for each 20 ewes, in addition to which is an 

 annex 6x18 feet adjoining each pen, into which the lambs only 

 can go for extra food. The ewes are shorn in January, the object 

 being to keep them cooler and allow more space. Mr. Woodward 

 claims further that shorn ewes give more milk. For roughage 

 the ewes are fed clover hay, corn silage, mangels and some flat 

 turnips; the concentrates consist of linseed meal, bran and a 

 little corn meal. The object is to get the ewe fat, and Mr. Wood- 

 ward does not care how fat she is, provided the end is reached 

 with such foods as are described above. In warm quarters suc- 

 culent feed may be given with safety. 



820. Feeding the lambs. — The lambs get their additional food 

 in the side pens, beginning to eat when two weeks old. At first 

 unmixed new-process linseed meal is used. The troughs are 

 cleaned every morning and a fresh supply of meal put in, giving 



