6i8 



grasses are summer plants, which is in favor of the practice. A 

 late lambing has this disadvantage, that the young lambs are exposed 

 to the cold blasts of winter directly they are born ; but it is better 

 to risk this than to lose the bulk of the lambs, because owing to 

 want of pasture the ewes have no milk. 



When early lambing can be practised it is not advisable to put 

 the rams and ewes together immediately after shearing, as by doing 

 so there will be a large number of misses. This peculiarity in sheep 

 breeding has been observed in many parts of Australia. The ex- 

 planation is generally believed to be that when the fleece is taken 

 off a sheep the rapid growth of wool that follows for a few weeks 

 is a strong drain on the constitution of the animal, and this weakens 

 the generative organs. 



Ewes may be bred from until they are nine years old, but 

 this must be left to the judgment of the flockmasfer. In some 

 districts the ewes last much better than in others, and one ewe at 

 eight years old may be in excellent form, while on another pasture 

 a ewe of the same age may be broken down. The flock should 

 be so managed that the ewes are cast for breeding after rearing 

 their third or fourth lamb. Sheep have been known to breed up to 

 twenty years of age, but these are very exceptional cases. 



Weaning the lambs will depend much on the season, but the 

 lambs should not be left too long on the ewes, as the latter will have 

 too short an interval to recuperate before being put to the ram. Cross 

 weaning, that is, putting the lambs of one half the flock with the 

 ewes of the other, and rice versa, is a good plan to adopt, as it makes 

 the lambs more contented. Where the weaned lambs are put by 

 themselves they often run off all their condition and do not begin 

 to mend for a month at least. Lambs may be weaned after four 

 months old. 



It may happen that the sheep farmer wishes to know for future 

 guidance what ram is the sire of -each lamb, and an excellent plan 

 for accomplishing this was given in the Field some years ago. 

 Before putting each ram to the ewes selected for him, his breast 

 was marked with red, blue, or green, which was daily renewed as 

 it was rubbed oft. At the end of a week the ewes served were 

 drawn off and put in another enclosure with a ram marked with a 

 different colour, so that if any of the ewes returned they would 

 show it. The ewes were marked with a dot of paint of the same 

 colour as the ram. At lambing time each lamb was marked with 

 the colour of his sire, so that at weaning time the Hock master could 

 form a very good idea of the value of his different sires. 



In cold, wet, or exposed situations, where the country is open, 

 there should be some shelter provided for the lambing ewes. 

 Breakwinds are easily and rapidly constructed, and in a severe 

 season would save the lives of many lambs. There is no better 

 return obtained from the money spent on the sheep walk than that 

 employed in the formation of hedges or plantations. Wherever 



