FOR SHOW RING AND MARKET. 115 



that she is suffering from this cause, she should be partially 

 milked, by hand; it is not advisable to milk her clean, as this- 

 will only tend to cause a normal flow of milk. 



Castration. 



The castration of lambs is a very simple operation, and 

 when properly done there is little danger if any of loss 

 following. When lambs are lost it is usually the result of a 

 bungling operation performed by a bungling operator. I 

 have performed the operation upon many thousands of 

 lambs, and indeed all classes of stock, without yet having 

 a single loss. Where cleanliness and dexterity in operating 

 is employed, no loss should follow. The greatest danger 

 arising from castrating is where the animal is ruptured. This 

 state of things, however, is very seldom found among lambs. 

 The proper time to castrate lambs is when they are about 

 three days old. 



An up to date shepherd can castrate his lambs without 

 the assistance of an attendant. In the Old Country shepherds 

 usually perform the operation in the following manner: The 

 lamb is caught and placed on its left side upon the ground. 

 The operator then kneels down and presses the lamb against 

 his knees and keeps it in position with his elbows; by thus 

 doing both hands are left free to handle the knife, hold the 

 scrotum, etc. The operator then takes his knife and cuts the 

 top of the scrotum clean off, leaving both testicles exposed 

 to view; then, after squeezing them out of the scrotum, or 

 sac, he grips them one at a time with his teeth and pulls 

 them out. Care should be taken that the lining membrane 

 be cut off at the same time the top of sac is removed. 



