1048 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK xn. 



the systems of their dams a small quantity of nitrogenous food should 

 be given to the latter during the month previous to lambing. About 

 Ib. per day of decorticated cotton-cake, peas, beans, or malt-dust mixed 

 with the chaff will repay its cost. The colder the weather, the more 

 care must be taken as to the food of the sheep, this being good and 

 nutritious to make up for the demands made upon their system by the 

 cold. Should any of the hillside sheep have been overlooked in the 

 dipping for the getting rid of parasites, no time should now be lost in 

 attending to the animals. 



JANUARY. 



This is the coldest month in the year, and sheep require more food than 

 at any other season : they eat more during sharp frosts than at other 

 times. The days are short, but the shepherd should be in the field 

 early in the morning and late at night, and leave the troughs well filled 

 with roots and chaff when he goes away. At all times a good fall-back 

 should be provided, but it is especially needful in wet weather, or the 

 sheep get little chance of lying down, though rest is essential to their 

 well-doing. The early-breeding sheep will be lambing, and should 

 receive constant attention. It is a mistake to expect much work to be 

 done outside the lambing-yard while the shepherd has to attend to the 

 ewes both night and day : he should have sufficient time to look to the 

 well-being of every ewe and lamb separately. The ewe's teats should be 

 drawn immediately after lambing in order to see that she has plenty of 

 milk, and that the nipple is not blocked by dirt. Otherwise the udder may 

 get out of order, and the lamb may starve. It is best to give the ewes 

 corn, at any rate until the lamb can eat it for itself. Where lambs are 

 required for show purposes or for killing as fat lamb, the ewes and 

 lambs should receive cake until dam and offspring are parted. Fatten- 

 ing tegs that are nearly ready for the butcher should have their allowance 

 of corn increased gradually, but when they are being forced at high- 

 pressure they should be constantly watched, or they may suddenly die 

 from over-doing. Grass-fed sheep should be looked to during severe 

 weather, and should receive an extra allowance of food, even if they do 

 not get it at other times. 



FEBRUARY. 



The remarks made last mouth will apply pretty closely to this. Those 

 animals set aside for fattening must have food calculated to fatten them in 

 the most economical and the quickest way. This month being usually 

 a very severe one as regards weather, it will be essential to afford pro- 

 tection to ewes which are expected shortly to lamb. Sheep and lambs, 

 intended to be fattened off for market as early as possible, should also 

 have full supplies of food given to them ; oil-cake, &c., being allowed 

 them with hay and straw chaff in proportion and quantity according to 

 the period at which they are intended to be sold off, but it pays to give 

 corn to all lambs. If sheep are dirty behind, all foul locks should be 

 cut away. Sheep cannot prosper if they are lame, so every effort must 

 be made to keep them sound on the feet, and if the shepherd's work is 



