246 MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF SHEEP 



suitable form when grown at home. Succulent food, also, 

 can only be furnished under average conditions by the 

 farms on which it is fed. Such food plays a very impor- 

 tant part in the feeding of milk lambs. 



While the facilities for moving food products quickly 

 have been brought to a high degree of perfection, in a 

 country as large as the United States, where milk lambs 

 must go far to reach the market, the express charges 

 would too much cut in upon the profits. The cost of 

 shipping lambs, for instance, to New York city that are 

 grown within 100 miles of the same will be much less 

 than when they are grown 1,000 miles distant. 



The demand for milk lambs does not exist in all parts 

 of the country. They furnish meat only for the wealthy ; 

 hence they will only find ready sale in certain centers. 

 This, of course, does not include lambs sold locally in the 

 spring season while still sucking the dams. These are in 

 demand wherever meat is in demand, but they do not 

 bring such prices as are usually paid for winter lambs. 



Quarters suitable for milk lambs In northern areas 

 the quarters for milk lambs should be reasonably warm. 

 While it is not absolutely necessary to have a barn built 

 on the basement plan in which to keep them, such a barn 

 is very suitable for the work. It should not, however, be 

 dark or damp, such as barns are in some instances that 

 are built close against or into a bank. A bright apart- 

 ment of a basement is a good place to have the young 

 lambs come into life. Under such conditions the risk to 

 the young lambs is not great, though the thermometer 

 without should register 30 degrees and even more below 

 zero. In the absence of apartments in a basement a lamb- 

 ing pen should be partitioned off in the sheep house, the 

 sheeting or lining of which would make it warm enough 

 to answer the purpose. This will usually be accomplished 

 by lining the studs inclosing the pen with sheeting of 

 boards on one or both sides of the studs, and using the 

 paper under the sheeting at least on one side. 



