92 ON LAMBS. 



s 



Q. How are lambs weaned ? 



A. They are separated from their dams, and if pos- 

 sible, at such a distance as not to be within hearing of 

 each other's bleating ; and that they may the more 

 read ; Jy forget each o her, an old ewe should be 

 turned out with about forty lambs to guide and keep 

 them together : they are put into pastures of trefoil, 

 mellilot,* or rye grass, &c. or into common pastures, 

 if they are not moist. There is a method of weaning 

 lambs without separating them from the ewes, by a 

 sort of a muzzle, which is put on them, loose enough 

 to allow them to feed ; it is armed with points, or 

 thorns, to prick the dugs of the ewe, which is there- 

 by obliged to repel her lamb, when it attempts suck- 

 ling ; but these points should not be sharp enough to 

 wound the bag of the ewe. 



Q. Is it proper to cut off the tail of the lambs? 



A. It is said, that the tail of the lamb should be 

 so shortened, as only to prevent it from loading with 

 mud at the end, lest when collected and hardened, it 

 should wound the legs of the animal, or excite it to 

 run : when a sheep, having a ball of dry earth attach- 

 ed to the end of the tail, begins to quicken his pace, 

 it strikes more and more upon the lower part of the 

 legs ; these strokes, being redoubled, excite the sheep 

 to that degree, that it is difficult to stop him : the end 

 of the tail of the lambs should be cut, in a country 

 where the mud is of a nature to stick thereto and be- 

 come hard. 



* Trifolhim melilotus officinalis, L 



