CHAP. ii. MANAGEMENT OF A HAMPSHIRE DOWN FLOCK. 511 



morn he reams over dew-besprinkled vetches, and as the sun rises 

 higher in the heavens he is attracted to mangel by the familiar sound 

 of the cutter. Thus regaled, he is strengthened by an allowance of 

 cake mixed with split beans, peas, malt, and other pleasant and tooth- 

 some additions. The shepherd's voice is next heard calling him to 

 cabbage, and perchance as the day declines he rests amidst the grateful 

 and cooling shade of rape leaves towering above his recumbent form, 

 while ever and anon he nibbles playfully at the tenderest and youngest 

 shoots. The ever-watchful shepherd now leads his flock to pastures 

 new in the shape of clover eddish or aftermath, where they " spread " 

 and amuse themselves for a brief space, and lastly he takes them back 

 to their fold of vetches, which enlists their sated attention until sun- 

 down. Such is the enviable day of a Hampshire Down lamb in July. 



Under such treatment it is no matter for surprise that the young 

 creatures should grow rapidly. A lamb dropped February 1 will 

 weigh about 18 Ib. at birth. The same lamb may easily weigh 150 Ib. 

 on August 1. It has in this case increased 132 Ib. in 181 days, or at 

 the rate of '73 Ib., that is, close upon three-quarters of a pound daily. 

 Considering that this is an average increase taken over the entire 

 period of the lamb's life, the growth during the later stages must be 

 rapid indeed. 



Lambing lasts from the beginning of January to mid-February. 

 Previous to lambing the ewes are kept on a very restricted quantity 

 of swedes and a liberal allowance of hay. As yeaning approaches they 

 are folded on grass, and allowed to spend a short time every day upon 

 arable land, on swedes. As fast as they " come in " they are brought 

 into the pen and receive a little cake and a few oats, as well as roots 

 and hay. After a few days they are allowed to go out upon white 

 turnips, still receiving the same diet as before in the pen. As soon 

 as the lambs are able they are encouraged to run forward through 

 creeps to nibble the young turnip-greens, and to eat a little fine linseed- 

 cake dust out of small troughs. The quantity of food is gradually 

 increased, thus feeding the lambs through the ewes as well as directly. 

 By the middle of March the allowance of cake and corn is as 

 follows : 



Ib. 



6 bushels of mixed cake (44 Ib.) = 264 

 2 bushels of light oats (30 Ib.) . = 60 

 One-third sack of beans . = 85 



409 



So that 409 Ib. of dry food is given daily amongst, say, 485 ewes with 

 their lambs. At this time the ewes are getting about 1 Ib. of hay each 

 in addition, so that the dry food amounts altogether to 1*85 Ib. per 

 head per day. No further change of importance takes place in the 

 feeding until the latter part of March, when hay is gradually discon- 

 tinued, and the sheep are run upon seeds and over the pastures daily. 

 On March 31 they go on to the water meadows for the first time, 

 returning to a fold of late turnips, then coming into flower. This 

 ends the real winter feeding for the season. The sheep then begin 



