Marking the Lambs. 



All lambs should be marked before weaning. It is desirable to 

 mark them when two or three weeks of age. The method of mark- 

 ing, recommended by the various sheep breeders' associations, is the 

 most practicable for the average farmer. This consists in placing in 

 the ear a metallic label on which the name of the owner and the num- 

 ber of the lamb are stamped. The label should be inserted in a hole 

 punched near the base of the ear, so that the weight of the label will 

 not cause the ear to lop over. The hole should be made between the 

 second and third ridge of the lower side of the ear, thereby allowing 

 sufficient room in the label for the growth of the ear. In case of pure- 

 bred stock the association number is placed in the right ear, and the 

 owner's number in the left ear. 



Records. 



Records of lambing should be kept for each ewe, showing the 

 number of lambs dropped, their condition, the date, and the condition 

 of the ewe. Later, in case of purebred sheep, the ear tag number 

 should be recorded for each lamb, so that in the registration the 

 exact records are available. The sire of the lambs, the age of the 

 ewes, the amount and condition of fleeces produced each year, are 

 records that are of value in intelligent breeding of a flock. In cases 

 where the mother of the lamb is in question, the lamb should be re- 

 moved from the flock, and, after an hour's time, again placed with the 

 flock; its mother will then be anxious to find her lamb, and can be 

 readily caught and indentified. In the registration of purebred lambs 

 most associations require the certificates of entry prior to Decem- 

 ber first, after which date the fee is increased. Application blanks 

 can be secured from the associations of all breeds of sheep ; when 

 properly filled out, with money covering the fee, and sent to the secre- 

 tary, they entitle the owner to the privilege of recording the sheep as 

 purebred. 



Castration. 



All lambs that are to be sold for mutton should be castrated. 

 Ram lambs make less gains, do not reach as high a condition, have a 

 coarser texture of meat and bring less money on the market than cas- 

 trated or wether lambs. The operation is simple, and all lambs that 

 are not kept for breeding should be so treated. "One of the best 

 methods is to cut off the lower third of the scrotum with a clean, sharp 

 knife, and force the testicles down. They can be grasped by the 



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