CARE OF THE EWE AND YOUNG LAMB 123 



The ewe barn must have provision for most ample 

 ventilation. That is best accomplished by having 

 on two sides clear across the barn a system of doors 

 so arranged that they are divided in halves hori- 

 zontally, the lower part of the door swinging as an 

 ordinary gate swings, the upper half hinged at its 

 upper edge and lifting up to a horizontal position, 

 upheld by wooden props or pendant chains. 



By means of these upper doors the ventilation 

 may be made so thorough that the air will be prac- 

 tically as good within the barn as outside, or in cold 

 weather one side may be completely closed and the 

 other, to leeward, opened or in very cold weather 

 all may be closed tight. 



It will be disastrous to confine the sheep in a poor- 

 ly ventilated building. Loss of thrift, colds and 

 catarrh will surely result. 



In England sheep are almost never confined to 

 buildings at all. Their usual mild winters make out- 

 door feeding practicable with them, whereas it is 

 not so with us. We must feed in racks during the 

 time that they are hurdling off turnips in winter and 

 much of the loss of thrift and character of English 

 sheep bred here is owing to unskillful wintering in 

 poorly ventilated barns. During the winter sea- 

 son the shepherd has opportunity to get well ac- 

 quainted with his flock. He should learn to know 

 each ewe by her countenance; and she should learn 

 to know him and to know so little of evil of him that 

 lie can approach any one and catch her without diffi- 

 culty and without frightening her. A shepherd's 



