I20 MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF SHEEP 



ger is imminent that their identity will be lost. If prop- 

 erly ear-tagged as soon as registered, the identity of the 

 animal will not be lost as long as the ear tag retains its 

 place in the ear, the registration certificate being at the 

 same time kept on file. As it is possible, however, that 

 the ear tag may be lost, although this happens but sel- 

 dom, it should be renewed as soon as this is discovered, 

 using, of course, the same number as the one lost. Ear 

 tags should not be put in the ears of young lambs, as the 

 weight of the ear tag ma}^ make the ear unshapely. 



The owner of sheep who may desire to register them 

 and who is not yet informed as to how he should proceed 

 should write to the secretary of the association which 

 represents that particular breed, asking for the desired in- 

 formation. The reply will furnish all that is necessary to 

 know to enable the person to record his sheep. Many of 

 the associations furnish ear tags corresponding to the 

 numbers in the certificates of registration, and these 

 should at once be inserted in the ears of the sheep. The 

 rules of many of the associations compel the registration 

 of lambs within the year in which they are born, and this 

 rule is doubtless a wise one. 



Miscellaneous considerations — It sometimes happens 

 that the milk of a ewe highly fed is so rich and so abun- 

 dant that the lamb takes more than it can properly digest. 

 The principle is the same as when the Jersey cow gives 

 milk too rich in butter fat for the best needs of her calf. 

 Lambs are sometimes lost from this cause. When the 

 lamb is unable to take all the milk, a lamb in need of 

 more milk should be allowed to suck the ewe once or 

 twice a day for a time. This will prevent the young lamb 

 from getting an excess of milk. Should a lamb be sepa- 

 rated from its dam through any mischance for any con- 

 siderable time, to prevent derangement in the digestion 

 of the lamb, the ewe should be partially milked out before 

 the lamb is allowed to suck. 



Some shepherds store up some dry clean earth in the 



