406 MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF SHEEP 



derangement of the whole digestive system and also to 

 other ailments. When fed excessive in quantity, as in the 

 form of strong grains fed to animals that are being fat- 

 tened, it leads to digestive derangement that is accompa- 

 nied by loss of appetite that may be partial or total, pro- 

 portionate to the degree of the derangement. 



The preventive measures in all those instances are 

 very clear. Along with over-succulent food, some less 

 succulent should be given. To illustrate: When sheep 

 are turned in on to a succulent crop of rape, clover or 

 alfalfa, they should also have access to a grass pasture 

 in which the grass has lost much of its succulence, or in 

 its room to a good quality of cured alfalfa or clover hay. 

 The sheep will partake of the dry food under such con- 

 ditions. When the fodder is woody and overdry, as it is 

 in some instances in winter, the aim should be to feed 

 some more laxative food along with it, as field roots, 

 oilcake or silage. Overfeeding strong grain foods may 

 be guarded against by leading up to full feeding grad- 

 ually and on grains less strong, and by watching the 

 appetite of the sheep. As soon as any symptoms of wan- 

 ing appetite are noticed the amount of grain that is being 

 fed should be lessened. Should the appetite be absent in 

 a marked degree, it may be wise to withhold the grain 

 food entirely for a time. From what has been said it will 

 be apparent that the place for treatment for indigestion 

 is not a large one. Mild purgatives may be helpful in 

 some instances in removing from the stomach and intes- 

 tines substances that may be irritating in their nature. For 

 such use the following purgatives will be found quite 

 suitable, viz., four ounces of epsom salts given in water 

 or three to four ounces of castor oil. 



Diarrhea and treatment Diarrhea may be simple or 

 parasitic. It is simple when it results from some change 

 in the diet that disturbs the normal digestive processes. 

 It is the effort of nature to remove irritant matters in the 

 stomach and alimentary canal, when these are present. It 



