CARE OF THE EWE AND YOUNG LAMB 131 



lastly to put a handful of milk on her own nose and 

 in her mouth. Then hold the lamb to her side and 

 when it is sucking permit her to smell of it. Often 

 this will succeed, but if she has lambed some days 

 previously the recourse to stanchions will be surer 

 and less troublesome. 



FEEDING THE EWE AFTER LAMBING. 



If the ewe has been well nourished during preg- 

 nancy she will come in with her lamb strong and 

 has udder well filled. At once when the lamb is 

 born she must be turned away from the flock, and 

 if the. shepherd would give her a trifle of care that 

 she really needs then, he will keep her by herself 

 or in a pen with other ewes in like condition for a 

 few days. During this time she should be somewhat 

 sparingly fed with grain, or it may even be best to 

 give her none at all, depending upon her condition. 

 It is unwise to force her early to a milk flow in ex- 

 cess of what the lamb can consume. In a few days, 

 however, she will need good food in generous 

 amounts for the lamb will draw heavily upon her 

 system for nourishment. Food alone cannot keep 

 up her milk flow. If she is a large milker she will 

 decline somewhat in condition, even when well fed, 

 showing that her flesh also turns to milk. 



Bear always in mind two facts. Sheep are rumi- 

 nating animals, accustomed by nature to eating 

 bulky foods of moderate nutritive properties, and 

 not accustomed to eating again. Next, sheep have 

 delicate digestions, easily disturbed by improper 



