SHEEP RAISING IN WISCONSIN 15 



amount may be slightly increased after lambing time. Moldy 

 or frozen silage or frozen roots should not be fed to sheep 

 since it causes trouble with the digestive organs, and sickness 

 or death often follows. 



In order to produce a strong, healthy lamb crop, it is 

 important that the ewes have plenty of exercise during 

 pregnancy. When the weather is favorable the ewes should 

 be out-of-doors. If the ewes' roughage is hauled into a field 

 and placed in small bunches some distance aaprt, the ewes 

 will be benefitted by having to walk around to eat. When the 

 snow is deep, a path can be made for the ewes by means of 

 a snow plow. The plow may be made by fastening two 

 planks together like a stone boat, the front end being pointed. 

 A horse may be hitched to the plow and by having the driver 

 ride on the planks, a path for the sheep can easily be made. 



DOCK AND CASTRATE LAMBS WHILE YOUNG 



At lambing time the flock needs much closer attention 

 than at any other time of the year. If the shepherd is careful, 

 many lambs, and now and then a mother, can be saved. On 

 some nice, bright day,\ when the lambs are about one or two 

 weeks old, all the ram lambs not intended for breeding 

 purposes should be castrated. Ewe lambs can be docked at 

 same time. The lambs which were castrated can be docked 

 a week or two later. If these operations are done when the 

 lamb is young, and in the proper manner, there is little 

 danger, and the selling price is greatly increased. Often 

 castration is neglected and the profit is lessened when the 

 buyer on the market sets a price on trimmed and untrimmed 

 lambs. If possible these operations should not be per- 

 formed at the same time as it gives a greater shock. 



WHEN TO WEAN THE LAMB 



Lambs should be weaned when they have had the benefit 

 of their mothers' milk from three and one-half to four 

 months. It is poor practice to allow lambs to wean them- 

 selves for they wilj usually nurse until late in the fall. Be- 

 cause of this, the ewes are run down in flesh and foreced to go 



