﻿22 BULLETIN 20, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



leg is back these must be worked forward before delivery can take 

 place. Occasionally lambs are delivered backwards. In this case, if 

 either leg is bent back the fetus must be pushed back and the hind 

 legs pulled out first. If there are no indications of delivery and the 

 lamb is considerably overdue it is probably dead, and it must be taken 

 from the ewe if she is to be saved. Before doing this the finger nails 

 should be closely trimmed and the hands and arms should be 

 thoroughly washed in warm water containing from 2 to 3 per cent of 

 some good disinfectant. If linseed oil is smeared about the passage 

 the lamb can be removed much easier. The hand is inserted into the 

 vagina until a hold can be secured upon the lamb, which is then slowly 

 and gradually worked out, front feet and head first if possible. When 

 it is necessary to remove a lamb in this manner, the ewe should be 

 thoroughly washed out with warm water containing a little disin- 

 fectant. This can best be done by means of a small rubber hose and 

 funnel. Some one who has had experience should be on hand in a 

 case like this, as conditions are constantly arising that can not be 

 guarded against by written instructions. If the ewe be a valuable 

 one, it may be advisable to secure the services of a veterinarian. 



CLAIMING PENS. 



After lambing, the ewe and her lamb, or lambs as the case may be, 

 should be placed in a claiming pen if she refuses to own her offspring. 

 If left loose the lamb wanders about, becomes lost among the flock, 

 and loses its characteristic smell by which the ewe recognizes it. 

 She will then refuse to claim it, and the trouble begins. By placing 

 them by themselves all of this is avoided and a closer watch can be 

 kept upon them to see that all is well.,, The length of time they 

 should be kept in the pen will depend upon how long it takes the ewe 

 to become reconciled to her lamb. Usually two or three days are 

 sufficient. If the ewe persists in butting the lamb away, she should 

 be tied so as to allow the lamb to suck. This soon brings about 

 agreeable relations between them. 



There are two types of pens, temporary and permanent. Tem- 

 porary pens are conveniently made of some light material and consist 

 of two sides that are hinged together and set up in a corner of the barn 

 by the use of hooks (see fig. 5). Rows of these can be placed along 

 the sides, if necessary. They have the advantage that they take up 

 little room and they can be removed when not in use. 



Permanent pens are more desirable in a number of ways. For 

 example, the ewe is more completely isolated from the other members 

 of the flock and consequently becomes reconciled 'to her offspring 

 sooner. These pens should be about 4 feet square and boarded up 

 tightly so that the ewe can not see the rest of the flock. Lambing 

 pens, in which the ewes are placed before they lamb, are used to some 



