CARE OF THE EWE AND YOUNG LAMB. 87 



outside, or in colder weather one side may be 

 completely closed and the other, to leeward, 

 opened, or in very cold weather all may be 

 closed tight. 



It will be disastrous to confine the sheep in 

 a poorly ventilated building. Loss of thrift, 

 colds and catarrh will surely result. 



In England sheep are almost never confined 

 to buildings at all. Their mild winters make 

 outdoor feeding practicable with them, whereas 

 it is not so with us. We must feed in racks 

 during the time that they are hurdling off 

 turnips in winter and much of the loss of thrift 

 and character of English sheep bred here is 

 owing to unskillful wintering in pooily ven- 

 tilated baras. During the winter season the 

 shepherd has opportunity to get well acquaint- 

 ed with liis . flock. He should learti to know 

 each ewe by her countenance; and they should 

 learn to know him and to know so little of 

 evil of him that he can approach any one and 

 catch her without difficulty and without fright- 

 ening her. A shepherd's crook that will catch 

 by the hind leg is useful in the sheep fold, 

 though I prefer for ordinary use the old-fash- 

 ioned crook that catches by the neck. Any 

 blacksmith can make a crook in a few mo- 

 ments of an old horse-rake tooth, set in a 

 long wooden handle. It should be so shaped 

 that' it will with a little pressure slip over 

 the neck of the ewe, widening at the opening 

 considerably to make it easy of use, and the 

 end should be turned over in a little coil so 

 that it can not accidentally wound the skin. 



