DISEASES.] 



SHEEP, 



[diseases. 



and give the turn in favour of the one-year-old 

 system — a course, it will be seen, which is 

 only perfectly right, as more capital would be 



required in the one-year than in the two-year- 

 old system, however it may otherwise bci 

 thought. 



CHAPTER VII. 



DISEASES OF THE SHEEP, AND THEIR REMEDIES. 



In the whole range of domesticated animals, 

 there is none so difficult to manage as the 

 sheep, labouring under a state of disease. In 

 acute cases, the use of remedies seems to be 

 utterly in vain ; whilst the power of known 

 remedies seems to have literally no effect 

 whatever in effecting the purpose for which 

 they are administered. This is, perhaps, of 

 less consequence now, seeing that the system 

 of management is so well understood, that the 

 animal is always kept fat and ready for the 

 butcher, in order that, on the first symptom 

 of illn<ess, it may be dispatched before the 

 disease has affected its vitals. Let sturdy, or 

 rot, or inflammation, however, take place, and 

 all the medicines in the world may be admin- 

 istered, and no effect will be produced. 



The first ailment — for it cannot be called a 

 disease — of which we will take notice, is that 



of 



PARTURITION. 



In this country, the usual time of lambing 

 with the greater number of sheep, is in the 

 months of March and April ; but sometimes an 

 earlier period is obtained, for the purpose of 

 having the lambs sooner fattened for the 

 market. Accordingly, the Somerset and Dorset 

 eheep have their lambs dropped generally be- 

 fore Christmas. At this season great care 

 and attention should be given to the ewes, by 

 way of affording them proper food and shelter 

 from those inclemencies of weather which 

 frequently prevail during the earlier months 

 of the year. They should either be driven 

 nightly into yards or cots properly protected, 

 or a shelter should be supplied to them in the 

 fields, by means of double rows of hurdles 

 lined with straw, with a pouud or iuclosure, 

 744 



which will afford still greater protection. The 

 care of the shepherd should, at this period, 

 be in constant exercise ; whilst the eye of the 

 master should be continually on the watch, 

 as a little assistance, opportunely extended to 

 the labouring ewe, might be the means of res- 

 cuing her from the dangerous position of a 

 too much exposed situation in reference to life. 

 Mr. Price, in his work on sheep, observes, 

 that many lambs may be lost without its being 

 possible to chaise the lamber or shepherd 

 with either ignorance or neglect, although 

 greater attention on his part might have saved 

 many, which otherwise would perish. . The 

 practice of lambing is at times very intricate, 

 and is apt to exhaust the patience of a lamber. 

 Sheep are obstinate ; and lambing presents a 

 scene of confusion, disorder, and trouble, 

 which it is the lamber's business to rectify, 

 and for which he ought always to be prepared. 

 Some of the ewes, perhaps, leave their lambs, 

 or they get intermixed ; and the ewes that 

 have lost their lambs run about bleating, while 

 others want assistance. These are only a few 

 of the various circumstances which call for the 

 immediate attention of the lamber, and which 

 render it necessary that the owner of the 

 sheep should be on the spot, and should 

 superintend the whole of the operations. The 

 shepherd, however, must not be led to inter- 

 fere with the ewe prematurely, if she appear 

 to be labouring under great uneasiness and 

 pain. He must watch her closely ; and so 

 long as she rises at his approach, he ^may be 

 assured that, whatever amount of uneasiness 

 she exhibits, still all is going on well. Much 

 pain is apparent, as she will repeatedly lie 

 down, and rise again with seeming distress. 



