112 MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF SHEEP 



poses, and in some instances when grown for breeding, 

 they are suckled longer than when grown simply for 

 meat, with a view to get much size. When the ewes 

 which suckle lambs are low in flesh and are soon to be 

 bred again, it may be well to shorten somewhat the period 

 during which the lambs nurse, even at the hazard of 

 slightly retarding their development for the time being. 



The usual period during which lambs nurse covers 

 about 5 months, or a little less than that. The ewes are 

 thus given two months and more, in some instances, in 

 which to recuperate before being bred again. The period 

 of nursing may be shortened considerably should the 

 necessity for doing so arise, by giving the lambs a suffi- 

 cient grain supplement, or it may be likewise extended 

 by giving a grain supplement to the ewes. 



The weaning of the lambs is abrupt rather than grad- 

 ual. To wean lambs gradually as calves are sometimes 

 weaned, and also swine, would involve much labor, for 

 which there would probably be no adequate recompense. 

 The method almost universally adopted, therefore, is to 

 remove the lambs quite away from the ewes, and if possi- 

 ble far enough away so that their bleating will not reach 

 the ewes. When removed thus far from the lambs, the 

 latter will dry more quickly than if they heard and 

 answered the calling of the lambs. 



The weaning season also usually furnishes a good 

 time for grading the rams. When ram and ewe lambs 

 have run together up to the time of weaning they should 

 then be separated, otherwise the females may become 

 pregnant, a result that would be most undesirable. The 

 weaning season also furnishes a suitable time for select- 

 ing the females to be retained for breeding. These are 

 then separated from the others which are to be sold, as 

 the food subsequently given to these two classes may 

 dififer materially. In some instances the necessity may be 

 present for further sub-grading the lambs to be sold ac- 

 cording to the disposal that is to be made of them. ^^^ 



