SELECTION AND MANAGEMENT 119 



This was to allow the flock to run in the pasture, 

 sheltering in open sheds and under the trees, and 

 subsisting solely on coarse forage such as corn 

 stover and oat straw. Having in the barns a great 

 number of lambs that were being fed for fattening, 

 there was some excuse for neglecting the ewes. 



Unfortunately ewes in winter time because of 

 their long fleeces, appear to be in good condition 

 when they are not, and the writer had no idea how 

 very thin in flesh these were becoming until lambs 

 started to drop in April. Then his troubles began. 

 The lambs came strong enough, as a rule, nor were 

 they too large to be delivered easily ; but many ewes 

 having been poorly nourished, had no milk, and 

 would not own their lambs. The truth is that there 

 is a direct connection between the milk glands of an 

 animal and the part of the brain where lies love of 

 offspring, and in the sheep at least it is rare to find 

 mother love where there is no milk to go along 

 with it. 



The result was that the writer was put to his 

 wits' end to make the ewes own their lambs and to 

 try good feeding to bring them to their milk flow. 

 Many lambs were lost, and the whole result was 

 disheartening. 



The simple truth is that pregnant ewes must have 

 so far as possible natural conditions. They must 

 have enough food, and that of a suitable nature 

 properly to nourish the growing foetus without 

 stimulating too much the development of bone. 

 They must come to lambing in good heart, what the 



