SELECTION AND MANAGEMENT. 73 



more sheep tlian dogs do, and it must be the 

 constant study of the shepherd to avoid them. 



The reason for desiring the flock to thrive at 

 this time is that it is near the mating season, 

 and if the sheep are in fine, thrifty condition, 

 they will the more readily conceive and will 

 drop a greater number of twins. 



Yet another reason is that a sheep that 

 starts into winter in good thrift comes through 

 much stronger with less feed than one that 

 starts in in poor flesh. 



A handful of grain fed in October or No- 

 vember is worth a peclc of feed to a thin ewe 

 in January, not that the flock should be neg- 

 lected later on, but it is essential that sheep 

 should enter winter well fortified and strong. 



MATING. 



Before the mating begins one should care- 

 fully go over his flock and assort the ewes. 

 Ewe lambs must be taken out and none bred 

 that are not past a year old. Old ewes that have 

 lost their teeth and are evidently not quite able 

 to go safely through the winter and nouri.sh 

 well their lambs, are better consigned to the 

 fattening pen. At least there should be a 

 mark put upon them that will indicate their 

 condition, so that they may be given extra 

 care and attention. Quite often with such 

 ewes it is m.ost profitable to breed them and 

 by careful feeding keep them as strong as you 

 dare till lambing time, after this to give them 

 a large allowance of grain, ground if need be, 

 so as to push them with their lambs, and they 



