124 SHEEP FARMING IN AMERICA 



crook that will catch her by the hind leg is useful in 

 the sheepfold, though I prefer for ordinary use the 

 old-fashioned crook that catches her by the neck. 

 Any blacksmith can make in a few moments a crook 

 of an old horse-rake tooth, set in a long wooden 

 handle. It should be so shaped that it will with a 

 little pressure slip over the neck of the ewe, widen- 

 ing at the opening considerably to make it easy of 

 use, and the end should be turned over in a little Coil 

 so that it cannot accidentally wound the skin. 



Before the lambs are due it is well to turn each 

 ewe up on her rump, using her gently, and with 

 shears clip the wool away from the udder; particu- 

 larly the little locks that might be seized by the lamb 

 when searching for the teat. 



Before the lambing season the shepherd should 

 provide himself with some little panels, made of 

 light wood, like doors, each panel 36" high and 48" 

 long. Two of these panels should be hinged together 

 at the ends so that they may be folded together and 

 laid away or opened in the shape of the letter L. 

 The use of these is to make little pens in which to 

 place ewes about to lamb, or newly lambed, to pre- 

 vent their lambs straying away and getting mixed 

 through the flock. Thus many lambs will be saved 

 that otherwise would be lost and much of the usual 

 vexatious work of the shepherd avoided. To use 

 these panels, one is opened at right angles in the 

 corner of the lambing room and by aid of hooks 

 fastened at the free ends to the wall, thus making a 

 pen 4'x4'. As it is tight, the lamb cannot creep out, 



