480 Feeds and Feeding. 



lamb, she will usually own it upon putting them together in a small 

 pen out of sight of the other sheep and helping the lamb to suckle for 

 a few times. In stubborn cases the ewe may be confined in stanchions 

 so that she cannot prevent the lamb sucking. 



In case a ewe loses her lamb she may often be induced to adopt a 

 twin lamb by first sprinkling some of her own milk over it. Still 

 more effective is the practice of removing the skin from the dead 

 lamb and tying it upon the back of the lamb to be adopted. 



The shepherd, rooming close by the lying-in quarters, should be 

 in attendance every two or three hours in the night when the lamb- 

 ing season is on, in order to help the weak ones and see that all are 

 prospering. With the first fill of milk from the dam the new-born 

 lamb becomes comfortable, and is usually able thereafter to take care 

 of itself. Lambs of the mutton breeds are often weak at birth, but 

 under good management gain rapidly in strength. For two or three 

 days after parturition the ewe should be supplied sparingly with 

 dry food of the same character as that given before lambing. Suc- 

 culent feed should be added with the demand for more milk by the 

 young. 



778. Teaching the young lamb to eat. — When about two weeks 

 old the lusty young lamb will be found nibbling forage at the feed 

 trough beside its dam, and the shepherd should provide specially for 

 its wants to early accustom it to take additional food. This is best 

 accomplished by having an enclosure or room adjoining the ewe- 

 pen, into which the lambs find their way, while the mothers are pre- 

 vented from entering because of the limited size of the openings, 

 called the ''lamb-creep." In this space, accessible to the lambs only, 

 should be placed a low, flat-bottomed trough, with an obstruction 

 lengthwise across the top to prevent the lambs from jumping into it. 

 In the trough should be sprinkled a little meal especially palatable 

 to the lamb, such as ground oats, bran, corn meal or cracked corn, oil 

 meal, soybean meal — one or all, — varying the mixture to suit the 

 changing tastes of the young things. At first they will take but 

 little, but soon will become regular attendants at the trough thru 

 habit impelled by appetite. There should not be more feed in the 

 trough at any time than will be quickly consumed, and any left over 

 should be removed and the trough thoroly cleaned before the next 

 allowance is given. All feed should be fresh and have no smell of the 

 stable — that which is left over can be given to the pigs. Lambs will 

 drink a good deal of water, and this should be supplied fresh and 

 clean. 



