88 FITTING SHEEP 



and less robust members of the flock from the feed troughs, 

 hay-racks, etc. He will also see that the doorways are 

 wide enough for the ewes to get through without their be- 

 coming wedged and doing themselves serious injury when 

 rushing through to get their grain ration. The ewe 

 should be kept quiet and unmolested during lambing. She 

 should be provided with quiet and pleasant surroundings. 

 She should not be moved out of the sight of the flock, or 

 she is liable to worry considerably previous to and until 

 she has been delivered of, and has the company of her 

 offspring. Then, again, the shepherd should pay particular 

 attention that his ewes are kept free from molestation by 

 strange dogs. He will feed them rations of a cooling; 

 nature in preference to those of a heating one, as he well 

 knows that abortion is often resultant of injudicious feed- 

 ing of such a ration. Ewes, when heavy in lamb, must 

 be handled very carefully and be kept from all undue ex- 

 citement, or a successful lambing cannot be expected. They 

 should not be fed sour or mouldy ensilage, or abortion 

 will most assuredly be brought about. Pure water must 

 be abundantly supplied, and salt must not be forgotten if a 

 good lambing season is looked for. If it becomes abso- 

 lutely necessary to "throw" or "turn up" a ewe for the 

 purpose of dressing her feet, etc., great care should be 

 observed in doing so, or she may be so badly injured as to- 

 bring forth a dead offspring, her year's usefulness thereby- 

 being thrown away, as it were. 



It is not feed, altogether, that counts toward a successful 

 lamb crop, but care, and faithful attention to little details- 

 such as the above mentioned. Another important matter 

 I should have mentioned before closing this subject is, 



