96 MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF SHEEP 



tion to the flock which is necessary at such a time. When 

 lambs are born in the sheds it is important to know when 

 each individual ewe may be expected to bring forth her 

 young, and the more valuable the dams are the more im- 

 portant is such information relatively. The profits from 

 the flock are determined largely by the success that at- 

 tends the effort to save the lambs. 



It is possible, of course, to know within a day or two 

 the time when each individual ewe may be expected to 

 bring forth her young. This can be known by noting the 

 time of the service and keeping a record of the same. The 

 period of gestation in ewes is 147 days. It seldom varies 

 more than a day or two, but it may occur not less than 

 a week before or after the period named. Such a record 

 is valuable to any shepherd, but it is particularly valua- 

 ble in the case of pedigreed sheep. 



When the sheep are yet in the sheds, the dams that 

 are about to bring forth their young should be separated 

 from the flock by taking them to the lambing pen, or by 

 surrounding them with a movable inclosure made of posts 

 and slats within which they are confined until the lambs 

 are well on their feet. These portable pens should be 

 light and the slats on the sides so close near the bottom 

 as not to admit of the young lambs getting through be- 

 tween them, and thus wandering away from the ewe. 

 Pieces, 2x2 inches and 3 to 4 feet long, will answer for 

 the posts, and strips 3 to 4 feet long and 4 to 6 inches wide 

 for the sides. Such lumber, or even a little less in the 

 thickness, will furnish them strong enough. The dimen- 

 sions of these inclosures should to some extent be de- 

 termined by the size of the sheep. 



The advantage claimed for these portable pens over 

 the stationary pen is that when the dams are confined in 

 the former, they are still left in quarters to which they are 

 accustomed and in sight of the other sheep ; hence they 

 worry less than if removed to a stationary lambing pen. 

 This, however, may be obviated in a measure by thus 



