CHAPTER VII. 

 SUMMER FEEDING AND CARE. 



After the winter and early spring work is all 

 done, the flock is put out on pasture to enjoy the 

 young, juicy grass. The shepherd should be care- 

 ful to provide pure, fresh water, salt, and shade 

 for the sheep on pasture, in order that the flock 

 may thrive properly. At this time he is relieved 

 more or less from the restless hours and worry of 

 lambing, shearing, and feet trimming, and is en- 

 joying a little rest. He must now, however, begin 

 to think about work that may be done in the field 

 to provide some kind of forage to help him out 

 with his flock at the time when pastures are gen- 

 erally short and scanty on account of the dry 

 weather of midsummer. He must also bear in 

 mind that when the time comes to wean lambs he 

 should have a fresh piece of pasture for them away 

 from the older sheep. In some cases the lambs 

 may be grazed on a field from which the first crop 

 of hay has been taken. Even if such a pasture is 

 available a piece of rape should be sown in the 

 spring early enough to be ripe July 25 to August 

 10, the usual time for weaning lambs, for rape is 

 an excellent fodder for lambs. Indeed rape has 



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