FEEDING AND CARE OF BREEDING EWES 123 



such early breeding should never be practiced. It is prac- 

 ticed more or less in the south of England by the breed- 

 ers of Hampshire Downs, and to a less extent by the 

 breeders of some of the other breeds. It is believed that 

 the practice tends to promote early maturing and also 

 affects prolificacy favorably. But the conditions in the 

 south of England are highly favorable to the production 

 of succulent foods so necessary as an aid to rapid growth 

 in lambs, whether fed directly or through the ewes. 

 Where such foods are not plentiful during much of the 

 year, ewes should not be allowed to produce lambs until 

 two years old, and in the case of Merinos it may in some 

 instances be wiser to defer such production for one more 

 year. 



The food and care called for subsequent to weaning 

 will be influenced by the fact as to whether the lambs are 

 bred the same autumn, or not until the following autumn. 

 When bred as lambs, more of concentrated food should 

 be given during the autumn subsequent to weaning, and 

 also during all of the following winter, the reasons for 

 which will be apparent. In any event, the lambs should in 

 nearly all instances be given some concentrates from the 

 time that they are weaned until the following spring, but 

 to this there are some exceptions. These include condi- 

 tions which furnish in plentiful supply of such pastures as 

 rape until winter closes in and of field roots during the 

 winter. The aim should be to select the ewe lambs for 

 breeding when they are weaned, and to separate them 

 from the lambs that are to be fattened, as the treatment 

 called for by these two classes may differ somewhat. In 

 the absence of rape pastures, succulent blue grass and 

 winter rye are good. When grain is fed, oats, with a 

 small amount of wheat bran added, are excellent. But 

 a small amount of any of the other cereals will answer. 

 The grain is usually fed but once a day, and seldom in 

 excess of one-half pound to one pound per animal. 



During the winter, the aim should be to keep the 



