EXTRAORDINARY TREATMENT OF LAMBS. 143 



and also the merits of the system of feeding which can pro- 

 duce it. The three factors necessary for the achievement of 

 such a result are, first the breed, second the mode of feeding, 

 and third the peculiar soil and climate of a southern county 

 adapted for the growth of summer fodder crops as well as of 

 good root crops. 



To bring out a 12 stone lamb at eight months old is within 

 possibility in the case of this breed, and yet this was the limit 

 I proposed when contrasting the usual management of sheep 

 with what I am now about to describe. 



A Hampshire Down lamb may then be supposed to be 

 born on January 2oth, and we have to follow his short history 

 until he appears either as a wether ready for the butcher 

 early in August, or as a ram lamb fit for service at the same 

 date. 



In the first place it will be necessary to feed the dam 

 liberally in order that her milk may be both plentiful and 

 rich, and with this end in view we early begin to feed with 

 cake, giving an allowance of i Ib. per head per day. This, 

 together with hay and turnips or swedes, constitutes her diet, 

 and this is continued for at least ten weeks, or until such 

 time as it is considered advisable to lower the amount of 

 cake or corn given to the ewes in order to increase that given 

 to the lambs. Both ewes and lambs are comfortably housed 

 at night in a well littered and well sheltered pen, and have 

 daily access to a fold of turnips, and receive their cake and 

 hay regularly. The young lambs quickly learn to nibble at 

 the turnip-tops and to select the finest portions of the hay, 

 and when this is noticed it is time to give them a corner to 

 themselves, where they can have a little finely-ground linseed 

 cake, split peas, oats, and crushed malt. This they soon 

 learn to relish, and it is pleasant to see them crowding 

 around their troughs after their corn, and then passing 

 through the creeps or lamb-hurdles to steal a drop of milk 

 from their mothers. 



The lamb hurdle is from this time an institution. By its 



