Book VII. BREEDING OF SHEEP. 999 



practice which is attended with much profit and advantage in many situations where 

 early grass-lamb is in great demand. It is usual for the rams to remain with the ewes for 

 a montl>or six weeks, and in some cases longer, in order to complete the business of im- 

 pregnation, which in some districts is ascertained by smearing the fore-bows of the rams 

 witli some coloring substance." 



6422. T lie practice of turning a number cf rams among the flocks^ formerly adopted, 

 is highly exceptionable, as tending to prevent the ii.ain object, and injure the rams. A 

 better way is to let each ram have a proper number of ewes, and with very choice stock to 

 keep the ram in an inclosed small pasture, turning a few ewes to him, and as they are 

 served replacing them with others. By this means there is more certainty, and more ewes 

 may be iuipregnated. In such sort of fine stock, it is likewise of great utility to keep 

 the rams during this season in a high manner. In this view a little oats in the straw, or 

 a mixture of barley and pea meal, are excellent. Where ewes are backwards in taking 

 the ram, the best means to be employed are those of good stimulating keep. The rams 

 should always be continued with the ewes a sufficient length of time. 



6423. The ewe will breed tivice or even thrice a year^ if it be made a point to produce 

 such an effect by attention and high keep, since she will receive the male indifferently 

 at any season, and, like the rabbit, very soon*" after bringing forth. Lisle gives an 

 instance of three of his ewes, well kept, lambing at Christmas, fattening off their lambs 

 at Lady-day, and producing lambs again the first week in June. It seems they stole 

 the ram immediately after lambing, but brought the second time only single lambs, 

 although of a breed that generally produces twins. There is no doubt but the sheep 

 would produce young thrice a year, were the bad practice resorted to, which has been 

 so currently recommended with the rabbit, of allowing the male immediately after par- 

 turition ; tlie ready way to render both the female and her progeny worthless. Could 

 the lambs be advantageously weaned at two months, sufficient time would, he conceives, 

 remain for the ewe to bring forth twice within the year : for example, suppose the young 

 ewe tupped in August, the lamb would be dropped in the middle of January, and 

 might be weaned in raid March, the ewe again receiving the ram on the turn of the milk, 

 like the sow, perhaps in or before April, she would then bring forth within the twelve 

 months or in August. This plan would, continues Lisle, at least injure the dam infi- 

 nitely less than suckling during gestation. 



6424. When ewes are in lamb they should be kept in the pastures, and as free from disturbance as possi- 

 ble, being carefully attended to, in order to prevent accidents which are liable to take place at this time, 

 such as those of their being cast in the furrows, &c. Where any of the ewes slip their lambs, it is advised 

 by Bannister that they should be immediately removed from the flock. They also require, under these 

 circumstances, to be kept as well as the nature of the farm will admit, in order that there may be less 

 loss at lambing-time from the ewes being stronger, and the lambs more healthy, and better capable of 

 contending with the state of the season at which they may be dropped.' The shepherd should at this 

 period be particularly careful and attentive to afford his assistance where it may be necessary, He should 

 constantly have regard to the suckling of the lambs, and to see that the udders of the ewes are not diseased. 

 His attendance will often be required in the night as well as the day. At this season covered sheep folds 

 are often of very great advantage, in saving and protecting both ewes and their lambs. 



6425. In respect to the number of lambs at a birth, it is remarked by Lawrence that 

 the ewe brings most commonly one, next in degree of frequency, two, rarely from three 

 to five lambs at a birth. This property of double birth, is, he says, in some instances 

 specific ; the Dorset sheep usually yeaning twins, and the large polled Belgic sheep, 

 with their descendants, our Teeswater, doing the same, and producing occasionally 

 more at a birth. Other breeds bring twins, in the proportion of one third of the flock, 

 which is supposed to depend considerably on good keep. A certain number of ewes per 

 centum prove barren annually : the cause very rarely, natural defect ; sometimes over- 

 fatness, a morbid state of body from poverty or neglect of the ram, in otlier words want 

 of system in the shepherd. 



6426. The keep of sheep after lambing, where rich pastures or other kinds of grass lands cannot be re. 

 served should consist of turnips or other kinds of green food provided for the purpose, and given them in a 

 suitable manner ; but where it can be done, it is always better to leave this sort of food untouched till 

 about the period of lambing, when it should be regularly supplied in proportion to the necessity there 

 may be for it. The ewes also demand at this time much care to see that they are put upon a dry shel- 

 tered pasture, free from disturbance, and that neither they or their lambs siistain injury from the too 

 great severity of the season. Whenever this is the case, they should be carefully removed into a proper 

 degree of warmth and shelter until perfectly restored. It is likewise a necessary as well as useful prac- 

 tice as they lamb down, to take them and their lambs away from the common stock, putting them into 

 a piece of turnips or fresh dry pasture where there is shelter when necessary, as by this means much 

 fewer lambs would be lost than would otherwise be the case. It is also found that by a proper supply of 

 turnips or other similar green food at this period, the milk of the ewes is much increased, and the growth 

 of the lambs greatly promoted ; which is of much future importance, as when they are stinted at this 

 early period of their existence, they never turn out so well afterwards for the farmer. With the green 

 and root crops and preserved after-grass, hay, straw, corn, and oil cake, are in some cases made use of 

 in the winter support of sheep stock. With turnips, where the soil is not sufficiently dry to admit the 

 sheep, it is the practice to draw them and convey them to a sound firm pasture, that the ewes may be 

 baited uiwn them once or twice in the day, as there may be occasion, care being taken that they are 

 eaten up clean, as the circumstance of their being thus eaten may serve as a guide to the farmer for the 

 supply that may be daily necessary. In this way this sort of food will be consumed with the greatest 

 economy. Where the land is perfectly dry, and the intention is to manure it for a grain crop, eating the 

 turnips on the land, by means of portions hurdled off" as wanted, is a good practice. With this sort of 



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