SHEEP. 



caa be removed by the hand, the 

 thread may be cut and the clams re- 

 moved. 



"In castrating full-grown lambs, it 

 is bettor to take out each testicle 

 separately, through an incision made 

 into each compartment of the scro- 

 tum, and the same method may be 

 adopted as is practised with the horse. 



" Docking. — This simple operation 

 is performed on most lambs at an 

 early age, generally, and very prop- 

 erly, at the period of castration. In 

 the Dorset and Somerset horned 

 sheep, and a few others, it is, how- 

 ever, customary to leave the tails ; 

 but if diarrhoea should attack the 

 lamb, as it is likely to do in some de- 

 gree, the long tails harbour filth, and 

 sometimes cause sores, on which the 

 fly will deposite its eggs. 



" The best method of performing 

 the operation is to place the tail on a 

 block of wood, and excise it with a 

 sharp iron red hot, about four inches 

 from the root. It may, however, be 

 cut ofT without any bad effect." 



" Unless the pasture on which the 

 ewes are placed is very good, it will 

 be advisable to continue the use of 

 the turnips or roots. A moderate 

 quantity may be given twice in the 

 day, care being taken that the whole 

 of one quantity shall be eaten before 

 any more is placed before them. 

 This is a better practice than hurdling 

 off certain portions of the field for 

 the sheep, unless the land is perfect- 

 ly dry. 



" A little hay will always be ser- 

 viceable while the flock is fed on tur- 

 nips. It corrects the occasional wa- 

 tery quality of the turnips, and the 

 sheep usually thrive better than if 

 they are fed either on hay or turnips 

 alone. Bran and oats, with oil-cake, 

 have been recommended for the ewes 

 before weaning time ; but this is an 

 expensive measure, and its cost can 

 hardly be repaid either by the ewe or 

 the lamb. 



" By the end of .March or the be- 

 ginning of April the turnips are gen- 

 erally nearly consumed, and the farm- 

 er is occasionally a little puzzled to 

 find sufficient food for his flock. He 

 O o o 



should have had some plots of rye to 

 support them for a while. Rye grass 

 and clover are very serviceable. Swe- 

 dish turnips that have been carefully 

 slacked on dry straw will be most 

 useful, for the Swedes, properly pre- 

 pared and housed, wdl retain their 

 nutritive quality until the flock can 

 be conveniently supplied vi^ith other 

 food. Ruta baga are always useful 

 for spring food. The after-grass like- 

 wise furnishes plentiful and whole- 

 some food for the lambs. 



" At length comes the time for 

 wcanmg. In a poor country- it takes 

 place before the lambs are much more 

 than three months old. In a more 

 plentiful one the lambs may be left 

 until the fourth month is nearly or 

 quite expired. If the pasture is good, 

 and it is intended to sell the lambs in 

 store condition, the weaning may be 

 delayed until six months. Which- 

 ever time is selected, it is of essential 

 consequence that the mothers and 

 the dams should be placed so far 

 apart that they cannot hear the bleat- 

 ings of each other. The ewes should 

 be somewhat carefully looked after, 

 and if any of them refuse to eat, they 

 should be caught, the state of the ud- 

 der ascertained, and proper measures 

 adopted. 



" The lambs should not be put on 

 too stimulating food. The pasture 

 should be fresh and sweet, but not 

 luxuriant. It should be sufficient to 

 maintain and somewhat increase their 

 condition, but not to produce any dan- 

 gerous determination of blood to any 

 part. In the Northern and Eastern 

 States it will be advisable to house 

 sheep in large barns during winter. 



" The Diseases of Sheep. — The rap- 

 id progress which the veterinary art 

 has lately made has thrown great 

 light on the maladies to which the 

 sheep is liable, and the mode of pre- 

 venting or removing them. 



" Commencing with the muzzle 

 and head, there is a disease, or rath- 

 er annoyance, to which sheep are ex- 

 posed by the persecution of a fly, the 

 CEstrus ovis, or padjly of the sheep. 

 At a period between May and July 

 this fly is perseveringly endeavouring 



709 



