SELECTION AND MANAGEMENT 121 



charges in mind and see that each ewe comes to the 

 barn before storms break, and always the flock 

 should be shut in at night. Yet unless the weather 

 is very severe they should have much fresh air in 

 their night quarters a large opening on the lee- 

 ward side is the best provision. 



One can hardly emphasize the importance of 

 keeping sheep dry in the fall, winter and spring. A 

 sheep rarely has sense enough to come in out of the 

 rain; not feeling the drops it will stand in the rain 

 until wet through. A fleece will take up as much 

 as 10 pounds of water. This must all be evaporated 

 by the heat of the animal's body. One reason why 

 sheep thrive sc well in northern countries is that 

 there is no rain falls in winter; the sheep are dry. 

 If dry, very much less feed than would be required 

 if they were wet from time to time will keep them 

 comfortable ; in fact, no amount of feed can make a 

 wet sheep thrive. For this reason I like to shear 

 ewes early in the spring; when shorn they feel the 

 falling rain and hurry to shelter, taking their lambs 

 with them. If they had on their winter's coats they 

 would stay out until the lambs were soaked, 



