CHAI-. ii. THE SHEPHERD'S DUTIES. 613 



immediately after they are weaned, to prevent attacks by fly, ticks, 

 lice, and scab. There are several dips which are employed for this 

 purpose, and it is labour well directed to dip the lambs at weaning 

 time, and again in autumn. In very moist, mild weather, or when the 

 lambs scour and become dirty behind, the effect of the dip may be 

 overcome, and the fly will stiike them, as a result of which the eggs 

 will hatch and, unless the shepherd is on the alert to suppress the 

 maggots, the latter will seriously molest the young animals. .There 

 are many preparations which will destroy the maggots, but some, 

 especially those which contain mercury, are liable to injure the sheep. 



If the stubbles are in good order the sheep may be put on them 

 for a short time daily. 



In October they should be feeding on turnips and cabbages, in 

 addition to a run on grass or leys, if these are still sweet, and receiving 

 chaff and about half a pound of corn daily -more, if it is desired to 

 get them out fat by December ; less, if it is intended to run them 

 through winter. By November they will be started on the winter 

 feeding, and the management alters somewhat. Nothing is so good 

 for them as cabbages, and they will require only chaff and corn in 

 addition. Many flock-masters still put their trust in swedes, though 

 it is wiser not to feed swedes until they are thoroughly ripe, so that 

 they come into use after the cabbage season is over. The breaking-in 

 of sheep to roots is known to be so dangerous, as leading to scour and 

 even death, that the animals are considered to be worth a shilling 

 more a head when they are used to them, than when the risk has 

 still to be run. 



When the lambs, now called tegs or hoggets, are under winter 

 management, the duties of the shepherd are onerous. The first 

 thing a shepherd should do on reaching the pen in the morning is to 

 put all the sheep up, to see that all are right, for it often happens 

 that one may be ailing, and when sheep ail they require prompt 

 attention or they may die. If more than one is unwell it generally 

 indicates that there is something wrong in the system of feeding, and 

 he should search for the causes, and if nothing else appears to be the 

 source of injury he may safely conclude it is the corn, and this must 

 be withheld until the master has looked into the matter. Any sheep 

 in good condition that becomes unwell should be bled at once, and if it 

 does not recover quickly it is best to save the carcass by cutting its 

 throat, and making good mutton of it. Having ascertained that all 

 the sheep are right, the shepherd should proceed to give the sheep 

 their chaff and corn, which are best mixed, as fast eaters get less 

 chance of appropriating an undue share of corn than when the corn is 

 put into the troughs by itself. If any sheep does not come to the 

 trough, the shepherd may conclude he has overlooked it before, 

 and he must keep his eye on it, and bleed it if necessary, watching 

 it lest it should suddenly die. Having given the sheep their corn, he 

 should at once start to fill the root-troughs with sliced roots, and con- 

 tinue to fill them until the sheep begin to fall back to rest, and to digest 

 what they have eaten. He may then get his own breakfast, and after- 



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