Shearing and Dipping the Flock. 103 



In the spring after shearing is the best time to 

 trim the feet of the flock. In order to do this work 

 quickly it is well to turn the sheep out on damp 

 ground for several hours, which will clean their 

 hoofs and make the horny part soft so that it will 

 cut easily. A clipper, also called a pruning knife, 

 such as is shown in the illustration, may be used 

 to remove the largest portion of the surplus hoof, 

 and a sharp jack-knife to finish it. If the feet are 

 properly softened a jack-knife may do all the 

 work satisfactorily. The hoof should be cut down 

 so as to make it level with the sole of the foot. In 

 some cases one side will need a little more cutting 

 than the other in order to make the foot stand 

 straight when placed on the ground. A. 0. Fox, 

 one of the oldest and foremost sheep breeders in 

 Wisconsin, once said to the writer: "A shepherd 

 who does not take care of the feet of his flock is 

 just as dangerous as the one who does not feed 

 his flock properly," and this is certainly true. 



