184 MODERN SHEEP: BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 



equable and cooler climate, it commences very much earlier ; in 

 fact, it seems almost always present there. 



The heat periods of the ewe last from one to two days and ap- 

 pear at intervals of fifteen to thirty days, but generally every month. 

 When removed from artificial conditions, sheep usually come in 

 season in September and the period lasts but one day, but reappears 

 every fourteen days until the end of December. The presence of a 

 ram in flock induces periods of heat even earlier than September. 



PERIOD OF GESTATION. 



The sheep is very irregular in the time of bringing forth her 

 offspring. The usual period is put at 145 days, but not often is 

 this found to be correct. Old country shepherds calculate on 

 twenty weeks as the time. 



FLUSHING. 



Flushing means preparing the ewe for the overtures of the 

 ram. This is a common practice in England, which is not only 

 intended to encourage the ewe to take the ram early, but to bring 

 the whole flock to yean as near a certain time and as uniformly 

 as possible. Forage crops and grain are provided for the ewes 

 generally when they are taken from poor pasture. Flushing simply 

 means stimulating the genital organs. The rape field is an excel- 

 lent medium for flushing. Mustard, a plant not yet tried to any 

 extent in this country, is considered by British flockmasters to be 

 a splendid crop for preparing the ewe for the service of the ram. 



BREEDING THE EWES. 



An old English proverb says: "The more rams the more 

 lambs," and with a good deal of truth, since many flockmasters tax 

 the ram's energy to the damaging point. It is not a good practice 

 to turn the ram with the flock without provision for his proper 

 care. When this is done with a flock of any size many ewes will 

 prove unfruitful owing to the overworked and exhausted condition 

 of the ram. So far as the small flock is regarded, there is not 

 much danger, but under any circumstances it is best to allow the 

 ram to be with the ewes but for a short time daily, not to exceed 

 one hour in the cool of the morning and about the same time 

 toward evening. It is a good plan to smear the breast, well back 

 between the forelegs, with a mixture of oil and lampblack. By 

 this means the ewes may be identified and removed from the flock. 

 Later on another ram smeared with another color should be placed 

 with the ewes, so that ewes that breed a second time may be taken 

 proper cognizance of. The ram should have grain daily, oats and 

 bran, with a small quantity of oilmeal. Of course, the time to 

 breed the ewes depends on the time one wants his lambs to appear, 

 and this time varies very much in different sections of the country. 



