36 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Usually after two or three days a lamb does not suffer from cold even if the 

 weather is severe with snow on the ground. It pays to give them attention at birth, 

 at the time they need it. 



Making Ewes accept Lambs. Sometimes a ewe will have nothing to do with her 

 own lamb. In that case her udder should be examined to see if there is an inflamed 

 condition, and whether or not she has milk. She must be fastened up and held for 

 the lamb to suck, so that she cannot butt the lamb. If the lamb is weak it may be 

 transferred to another ewe and a strong and persistent lamb substituted. Patience 

 is required to see that the lamb suckles frequently, at least every hour for a day or 

 two, after which the ewe will own the lamb. It is often advisable to transfer lambs 

 to other ewes, as when a ewe loses her lamb or has too many to rear properly. In 

 case two ewes lamb nearly together, the strange lamb should be rubbed with the 

 other ewe's lamb or with her milk, or the dead lamb's skin may be sewed over the 

 back of the living lamb. The ewe detects her lamb mainly by smell. 



Orphan or Pet Lambs. These may be reared by hand on pure cow's milk. A 

 newly dropped lamb only requires 2 teaspoonfuls every hour the first day or two. 

 The milk should be fresh and at blood-heat. An ordinary baby-bottle with rubber 

 nipple can be used. A spoonful of lime-water can be added if indigestion troubles. 



Feeding Grain to Lambs. It will be wise to feed lambs grain right from the 

 start if it is desired to get best results. After the lambs are born, if good pasture 

 is not available, it will pay to feed grain to the ewes also, but not if they are on 

 good pasture. When one month old a lamb can do with about % Ib. of grain daily. 

 A mixture of equal parts bran, oats, and linseed-oil meal is excellent. 



Castration. The best time to castrate ram lambs is between 1 and 2 weeks 

 of age. The operator should have an assistant to hold the lamb. The assistant 

 should hold the lamb belly up by gathering the four legs together and pressing the 

 lamb against his body. The end of the scrotum or purse is pulled out free from the 

 testicles and is cut clean off. The testicles will then protrude. The constriction 

 near the end of each testicle is then slit, and the testicle springs out of its covering. 

 The testicles are then grasped and pulled away, severing the cord ns near to the 

 body as possible. This method leaves the scrotum open so that any pus that forms 

 has a chance to drain away. 



Another method is to merely make two slits at the end of the scrotum, at the 

 same time pressing each testicle outwards. Then severing as described. The dis- 

 advantage of this method is that the silts heal rapidly and do not allow drainage 

 from the inner wound for long, so that inflammation may easily follow. If this 

 occurs the scrotum should be cut open and washed with creolin, 1 part, and water, 

 50 parts. Carbolized vaseline may be used as a dressing. 



Docking Lambs. An expert will dock the tail with the lamb held standing 

 between his legs. It is often more convenient to have the lamb held as for castra- 

 tion. All lambs should be docked. The long tail is a survival of ancient days when 

 the sheep's tail was used as a storehouse against times of famine. In times of plenty 

 it accumulated fat. In our modern breeds the long tail is useless, and, morever, is 

 a distinct danger, in that if the animal scours the long tail is sure to become filthy 

 and a breeding-ground for flies and maggots. The best age for docking is as near 

 the castration period as possible. In fact, many perform the two operations in the 

 case of ram lambs at once, but this is rather severe. Ewe lambs should be docked 

 when a week or 10 days old. The tail is cut off with a sharp knife about an inch 

 from the body. Where the skin of the body merges underneath into the tail at this 

 distance, a joint will be located. When old sheep -or lambs over 5 months have 

 to be docked, a string should be first tied tightly above the cut to stop bleeding, and 

 removed after a couple of days. 



CARE DURING SUMMER. 



Salting and Tarring. The stud rams should be kept separate from the ewes, or 

 there is a possibility of some being bred during summer. A mixture of coarse salt 

 made slightly yellow with powdered sulphur should always be before the flock. A 



