Feeding Sheep for Market. 173 



The writer has learned during many years of ex- 

 perience with this breed of sheep, that compared 

 with other breeds, the Dorsets are extremely heavy 

 milkers. This may be due to the fact that a large 

 flow of milk is necessary to feed the two or three 

 lambs a Dorset ewe will usually have. As these 

 ewes are such good mothers they need extra good 

 feeding after lambing, especially if they are to 

 have two crops of lambs in a year. 



FEEDING THE WINTER LAMBS. 



When the young lambs begin to eat, a good grain 

 ration must be given them, such as is elsewhere 

 mentioned in this book. Good alfalfa or second 

 crop clover hay is also essential. Furthermore, if 

 this line of work is to be carried on, roots, and 

 especially cabbage, should be grown and stored 

 so they may be fed to the mothers to increase their 

 flow of milk, and to the lambs to make them grow 

 as fast as possible. The writer has found that 

 these young lambs relish cabbage, chopped up 

 finely, more than any other feed he knows of. The 

 lambs should receive their feed in a lamb creep, 

 such as has been advocated for other lambs. When 

 kept in good warm quarters, fed properly, and fur- 

 nished by their mothers with an abundance of 

 milk, the lambs can be made to gain five or six 

 pounds per \veek. The writer has raised winter 



