FLOCK HUSBANDRY IN WESTERN STATES 233 



aid from the shepherd. Indeed this is fortunate, 

 seeing that he is generally remote from yards or 

 fences, and to catch a range ewe is commonly a work 

 of some difficulty. 



It is a lesson to the eastern farmer to see the re- 

 markable viability and vigor of these range-born 

 lambs, being an illustration of Nature's way of 

 management to promote vigor and reproduction. 



THE BUSY SHEPHERD AT LAMBING TIME. 



A good shepherd will, however, be busy at lamb- 

 ing time, for there are many little things to occupy 

 his attention then. One of the most essential is to 

 observe the ewes with spoiled udders and those hav- 

 ing imperfect udders, made so perhaps by careless 

 shearers who cut off the ends of the teats. These 

 lose their lambs and should be caught, examined and 

 marked so plainly that they can never escape the 

 eyes of the master, when next the flock passes the 

 assorting chute. 



THE COYOTE. 



Then there is the coyote pest. The coyote is a 

 small wolf, not much larger than a big fox, but hav- 

 ing a voracious appetite for lambs. To combat 

 coyotes a number of methods are used, and all fail 

 if persisted in, since the coyote is one of the most 

 cunning beasts of prey in the world. Strychnine 

 placed in carcasses found dead kill a good many, 

 but some coyotes learn to avoid strychnine. The 

 watchful shepherd gets a chance to shoot one now 

 and then. Occasionally a coyote may be trapped. 



