160 DOCKING LAMBS. 



watched and when one yeans, her lamb is immediately taken 

 away, if practicable, before she sees it. The foster lamb is 

 rubbed about in " the waters," (amniotic fluid,) blood, etc., 

 which accompanies the "cleanings," (placenta,) and then is 

 left with her in a pen. She generally does not suspect the 

 substitution, or if she does, after a short delay the adoption 

 on both sides becomes complete. "When neither of the above 

 modes is available, the ewe required to adopt a lamb is 

 treated like one which disowns her own. Some take to them 

 pretty readily ; others exhibit great obstinacy. If the ewe is 

 confined long in a pen, she should be given feed calculated to 

 produce milk, or should, after a little, be let out daily in a 

 small, green paddock alone with the lamb. 



Docking Lambs. — This is most safely performed when the 

 lamb is not over two or three weeks old. Some experienced 

 shepherds do it well, on simply having the lamb lifted by an 

 attendant and its breech held toward them — the lamb being 

 held with its back uppermost and in about the same position 

 as if it was standing on the ground. The shepherd seizes the 

 tail with one hand, places the knife under and cuts up and 

 toward himself, with a swift, firm motion. But an inexpe- 

 rienced person attempting this, will cut the tails of difierent 

 lengths, cut off some of them obliquely, and will occasionally 

 leave the bone projecting half an inch outside of the skin, to 

 heal over slowly and cause a vast deal of unnecessary pain. 

 This last is sure to occur in a good share of cases ii" an 

 unfeeling booby performs the operation, without an attendant, 

 holding the lamb by the tail as it stands on the ground pulling 

 with all its might to escape.* A flock of choice sheep owe 

 too much to the neat and uniform appearance of their tails — 

 especially among the Merinos, where it has become a "fancy 

 point " — not to have the process well performed. The safest 

 mode is to have an attendant hold the lamb, upright but 

 leaning back, with its rump resting on a block, and the hind- 

 legs drawn up out of the way. The shepherd with his right 

 hand fore-finger and thumb slides the skm of the tail toward 

 the body, places a two or three inch chisel across the tail, 

 with his left hand — pressing it down enough to keep the 

 skin slidden toward the body; and taking a mallet in the right 

 hand he severs the tail at a blow. The tail of the Merino 

 should be left barely long enough to cover the anus and 



* I knew a brutal fellow who, catting thus, with all his strength, severed not 

 only the tail but one of the hind-legs of a lamb. 



