36 THE SHEPHERD'S MANUAL. 



V 



quiet and docile lambs. The shepherd should make himself very 

 familiar with them, and by giving salt or meal in the hand, or a 

 small dish, reduce them to a condition of perfect docility. Any 

 ewes that have either refused the ram or have failed to breed, 

 should be dosed with two ounces of epsom salts and be stinted in 

 their feed for a few days to reduce their condition. This will 

 generally be effective in bringing them into season. Good fair 

 condition is better than an excess of fat, but ewes in poor condi- 

 tion cannot be expected to produce other than poor, weak lambs ; 

 neither will an excessively fat ewe produce a strong lamb. Some 

 extra food will now be needed by the ewes, and should be given 

 at first in small quantities. Bran, crushed malt, and crushed oats 

 and corn mixed, are the best kinds of food. Oil-cake, either of 

 cotton-seed or linseed, unless used with great caution, is not always 

 a healthful food for ewes in lamb. Any food that actively affects 

 the bowels, either way, is to be avoided. Half a pint a day may be 

 given of the first mentioned foods, and a change from one to an- 

 other may be frequently made. So long as pasture is to be had, 

 this allowance will be sufficient. When the winter feeding com- 

 mences, the ration of grain should be gradually increased until, at 

 the period when lambing time approaches, a pint daily is given. 

 Cold watery food is highly dangerous at this time, and roots 

 should not be given in large quantities, nor at all unless pulped 

 and mixed with cut hay and the grain. Turnips or other roots 

 that have been highly manured with superphosphate of lime has 

 been said by several experienced English breeders to be pro- 

 ductive of abortion. Water should be given in small and frequent 

 quantities. It is best to have running water or water from a well 

 always at hand for the ewes. If the ewes have not heretofore been 

 kept apart from the rest of the flock, they should now be sepa- 

 rated. The general treatment of the ewes up to this time should 

 be such as will keep them free from all excitement, and in good, 

 healthful condition. The record should now be consulted, and as 

 the ewes near their time they should be removed into a part of the 

 stables or sheep barn, where each one can have a small pen to 

 herself. These pens should be made so that light can be shut out 

 if desired. Here they are permitted to drop their lambs in perfect 

 quiet ; by this means few ewes will disown their lambs, and no 

 lambs will be lost by creeping into feed racks or out of the way 

 places. The pens should not be larger than 5x4 feet. As soon 

 as the lamb is dropped and the ewe has owned and licked it, and 

 the lamb has once sucked, all danger, except from gross careless- 

 ness, is passed. The owe will be greatly helped by a drink of 



