WESTERN LAMB FEEDING 293 



however. The writer has had as low as 2 per cent 

 and as high as 8 per cent. If no more than 4 per cent 

 of loss is sustained no one needs shed tears. 



Attention to regularity in feeding, care that no 

 doors or gates are left open to admit lambs to feed 

 bins, and always feeding well under the gauge of 

 the appetite will usually keep the death loss very low. 

 With western lambs there is sometimes danger of 

 their jumping into water tanks if they have access 

 thereto. The feeder should be careful that no sud- 

 den fright causes them to stampede in the barn and 

 pile up, which may smother a number. 



There is seldom any good accomplished by treat- 

 ing with medicine sick lambs in the feedlot, unless 

 for stomach worms. These should be cleaned out 

 before the feeding begins. The writer has lost 

 probably his full share of lambs and has tried vari- 

 ous remedial treatments, but is not aware that he 

 ever helped one. Death, in fact, usually comes from 

 some inflammation of the intestinal tract, caused by 

 engorgement of rich food, and medicine only ag- 

 gravates the trouble. 



There will occasionally be loss from gid, or turn- 

 sick, which is caused by a bladder worm parasite in 

 the brain. There is no practical remedy for this, 

 though the lamb when first observed will make good 

 mutton. 



With regular, rational treatment the lambs will 

 keep in health, and when occasionally one dies the 

 owner must console himself by thinking of the 99 

 well ones, meantime taking off the pelt, salting it 



