252 MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF SHEEP 



The dams after weaning — Whether the dams are sold 

 after the lambs are weaned or retained for future breed- 

 ing, the grain food should be at once reduced in quantity, 

 and the succulent food should be almost entirely withheld. 

 The object is to reduce the milk flow. It might not be 

 quite safe to withhold all the grain and succulent food at 

 once, on the principle that sudden changes of diet are 

 frequently hurtful. In the case of ewes that are to be 

 sold, it would certainly be a mistake to reduce the grain 

 food to a low limit, as it is important that these ewes shall 

 not lose flesh. Under such feeding it might take a longer 

 time to dry off the ewes, but even so the extra attention 

 thus called for is a trifling expense compared with allow- 

 ing the ewes to lose flesh. 



In some instances the lambs are allowed to take milk 

 from the ewes whose lambs have been sold, in addition 

 to that furnished by their mothers. In this way lambs 

 not sufficiently rounded out may soon be made ready for 

 market. To accomplish this, however, usually involves 

 holding the ewes two or three times a day while the lambs 

 take the food thus furnished. The shepherd must be the 

 judge of the instances in which this method will prove 

 profitable. 



Much attention must be given to the udders when the 

 lambs are being sold. The dams have been under high 

 pressure feeding and have not gone far beyond the time 

 of greatest milk production during the lactation period ; 

 hence drying them off is a very different matter from the 

 drying of ewes that have nursed their lambs for the full 

 lactation period. The udders should be examined daily 

 for a number of days, and should be relieved of a part 

 of the milk as frequently as may be found necessary. 



The lambs to be retained should be given only such 

 food as will maintain them in a moderate condition as to 

 flesh until they are turned onto the grazing, except when 

 it is desired to have them breed again as soon as this 

 can be brought about. Should that be desired, stimulat- 



