2O4 MODERN SHEEP: BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 



means nothing more nor less than that the ewe is artificially re- 

 lieved of labor which in the ordinary course of events would mean 

 several hours of natural hard labor. Of course the ewe should 

 not be interfered with until the psychological moment arrives 

 that is, when the head has arrived at that point where the ewe 

 has to struggle violently to rid herself of her burden. 



No one, more than the author, dislikes long quotations from 

 other works, still without such quotations in proper season for 

 comparison of opinion, etc., no writer can serve the best interests 

 of his readers, hence occasion is taken to quote at length from the 

 prize essay of a well-known English writer, Mr. Cleeve, whose 

 essay on this subject appeared in the first volume of the journal 

 of the Eoyal Agricultural Society. 



"The shepherd," says Mr. Cleeve, "must receive it as a general 

 maxim, to be most attentively observed, that nature is the best 

 midwife. He must not be led by the appearances of uneasiness 

 and pain to interfere prematurely. He must watch the ewe closely 

 and so long as she rises at his approach he may be assured that 

 whatever uneasiness she may exhibit all is well. Much uneasi- 

 ness is generally apparent; she will repeatedly lie down and rise 

 again with seeming distress. If this occurs when driving her to 

 the fold he must be very cautious and gentle in urging her. These 

 symptoms ought to be continued for two or three hours, or even 

 more, before he feels imperatively called upon to interfere, except 

 the lamb is in such a position as to warrant fears of losing it. In 

 cold weather particularly the labor is likely to be protracted. 

 Should the ewe appear exhausted and gradually sinking under her 

 labor, it will be right to give her some oatmeal gruel with a little 

 linseed in the proportion of a spoonful of the latter to two of the 

 former. When the ewe feels that she is unable of herself to expel 

 the lamb she will quietly submit to the shepherd's assistance. In 

 giving her this assistance his first, duty is to ascertain whether the 

 presentation is natural. The natural presentation is with the muz- 

 zle foremost and a foot on each side of it. Should all be right in 

 this respect he must proceed to disengage the lamb, first very gent- 

 ly drawing down the legs, and with all possible tenderness smooth- 

 ing and facilitating the passing of the head with his fingers rather 

 than forcibly extracting it the particular attention of the shep- 

 herd being given to these points. This may be effected by passing 

 the fingers up the rectum until he feels the back of the lamb's 

 head and then urging it forward at the same time that he gently 

 pulls the legs. Sometimes the head is sufficiently advanced, but 

 the legs are too backward. In this case the head must be gently 

 pushed back and the hand, being well oiled, must be introduced 

 into the vagina and applied to the legs so as to place them in their 

 natural position, equal to the head. Should the forefeet, on the 

 other hand, protrude they must in like manner be returned and 



