88 ON LAMBS. 



Montbard, before the month of April, in 1767, twen- 

 ty-one died with hunger; for no food or substance 

 could be found in the stomach or guts. 



Q. After hunger and bad milk, what further is to 

 be apprehended for the lambs ? 



A. The wool that they may swallow forms in the 

 rennet bag, balls, called by the French shepherds, 

 gobbes ; but it often happens, that these gobbes or 

 balls close the entrance of the guts, prevent the pas- 

 sage of the food, and kill the lambs. When the dug 

 of the ewe is covered with wool, the lamb is apt to 

 seize it instead of the teat, to pull it off and swallow 

 it ; on this account, the shepherd should examine the 

 dugs of the ewes, and cut off the wool, which may be 

 found on them : when the lambs eat at the rack, 

 some of the finer parts of the hay fall on their bodies, 

 and attach to, and remain on the wool ; the lambs 

 seeing these bits of hay upon their mothers, and on 

 the other lambs, in their desire to eat them, are apt 

 to draw out and swallow filaments of wool, from 

 which, these balls are formed. The racks should be 

 placed very low, so as to prevent the fragments of 

 hay from falling upon the lambs ; and if the shep- 

 herd should see any of them on the wool, or on that 

 of the ewes, he should take them off. The manner 

 of knowing and relieving sheep, when thus oppress- 

 ed, will be hereafter explained. 



Q. What ought to be done with lambs benumbed 

 with cold ? 



A. When a lamb has suffered a great deal from 

 cold, it should be warmed and coverec} with warm 

 linen, and laid before a gentle fire, in such a manner 



