BREEDING AND CARE OF SHEEP. 



1051 



allow feeding on both sides. Again, it may be used alternately for both 

 hay and grain ; the hinged doors allow easy cleaning. The back is up- 



RACKS WITH TROUGHS FOR FEEDING SHEEP. 



right; the center boards are movable to work up or down, so that when 

 feeding from both sides they rest together on the center beam. 



XVII. Castration and Docking. 



Lambs should be castrated at from two to four days old. A lamb is 

 held by an assistant, who turns him upon his back, holding the rump be- 

 tween the knees — the head towards himself — takings the fore and hind 

 legs ui each hand, puttmg the fore legs outside of the hind, and holding 

 them firmly just al)ove the knee joints. The operator takes hold of the 

 pouch and pulls it gently, so as to get as much as possible of it, and then 

 with a sharp knife at a single stroke, or better, a pair of strong shears, 

 takes off the pouch pretty close to the testicle. Then take a firm hold of 

 each testicle separately between the fore finger and thumb of the right 

 hand, and pull it out with all the cord that adheres to it. This com- 

 pletes the operation. The reason for cutting off all the pouch that can 

 be easily pulled beyond the testicle is, that it leaves a much evener sur- 

 face for shearing than if only a little is taken off. This operation should 

 be performed in the morning, and the lambs then turned out to move 

 al)out, which will, in a great measure, prevent any disposition to swelling 

 or stiffening of the parts, which is frequently the case if they are allowed 

 to lie still foi a time afterward. 



Docking should be performed as soon as they recover from the gelding, 

 generally about three days afterward. This operation should be per- 

 formed with a single stroke of a sharp knife, and in the evening, being 

 careful to sever the tail at a joint, the assistant drawing the skin of the 

 tail to the body, so that the end will well cover the stub. Then allow 



