Rearing the Lamb. 79 



When this is neglected flockmasters will suffer the 

 loss of from twenty-five to fifty cents per hundred 

 pounds on lambs when sold on the market, in 

 proportion to the amount of dirt collected on the 

 tails. We will not speak at all about the attract- 

 iveness of a bunch of lambs that are uniformly 

 docked. Docking sheep prevents the accumula- 

 tion of a great deal of filth at their rears, and con- 

 sequently to a great extent keeps them from be- 

 coming infested with maggots, especially the fe- 

 males. The fact that many ewes do not get with 

 lamb at all is due to their not being docked. Many 

 flockowners are afraid to dock their lambs because 

 they believe they will bleed to death. No danger 

 need be feared, however, if the operator is at all 

 careful. 



There is more than one way to dock lambs. 

 Their tails may be cut off with a sharp jack-knife. 

 It used to be the custom to chop them off on a 

 block by means of a chisel and mallet. When 

 either of these methods is used the lambs lose 

 blood, especially the fleshier ones, and in very 

 many instances die from excessive bleeding. 



If the lamb's tail is to be cut off the preferable 

 way is to use a sharp knife rather than the chisel 

 and mallet. One man must hold the lamb. The 

 operator by feeling on the side of the tail can de- 

 tect where the joints are. He should push the skin 



