FEEDING AND CARE OF BREEDING EWES 139 



cut the fodder, as a rule, although cutting a portion of it 

 and mixing it with grain may insure a greater consump- 

 tion of the fodder. 



From the sheds to the pastures The change from 

 the sheds to the pastures should always be made with 

 more or less caution, lest the digestion of the ewes and 

 also of the lambs be unduly disturbed. A sudden change 

 from all dry feed to all succulent food such as the early 

 spring pastures furnish is almost certain to result in more 

 or less scouring, and it will take away their appetite for 

 other foods. The liability to such scouring will be greatly 

 reduced if the ewes, accompanied by their lambs, and in- 

 deed all classes of sheep, are given access when spring 

 grazing begins to pastures that have not been grazed 

 closely in the autumn, so that they cannot avoid consum- 

 ing some of the dead grass while they graze. The dead 

 grass counteracts the tendency to scouring caused by the 

 fresh grass. 



When ewes with lambs are first turned out to graze, 

 the time for grazing, not long at the first, should be grad- 

 ually extended until they remain out all the day. The 

 period covered by the change from all dry food to graz- 

 ing only will be determined by such conditions as the kind 

 of the grazing and its plentifulness. The change should 

 be made as quickly as it can be made without injury to 

 the flock, as grazing usually furnishes cheaper food than 

 cured fodder and grain. When grazing begins, the re- 

 duction in the food in the sheds properly commences with 

 the roughage. There should be no anxiety to put the 

 sheep on grazing until they have first taken a full morn- 

 ing meal. The reduction in the roughage fed should keep 

 pace with the disinclination of the sheep to consume it. 

 With increase in the pasture consumed there should also 

 be corresponding decrease in the succulent food, as field 

 roots, if such is being fed. The grass, of course, provides 

 the succulence, and in a cheaper form than it can be 

 furnished from any other source. 



