102 



to endure the winter storms. The parasites interfere with digestion, 

 and to overcome their evil effect means should be taken to supply easily 

 digestible and fattening food, which may replace and add to that lost. 

 Many ranchmen already feed their lambs extra grain during the fall, 

 and have learned that not only are their losses diminished, but that 

 the lambs become larger and stronger as well as fatter. 



Formerly the ranchman depended, as many do still, entirely on the 

 prairie for grass throughout tlie season. Of late years many are feed- 

 ing more and more hay during the winter, and find that they profit by 

 it in the diminished death-rate and the improved condition of the flocks 

 in spring. This fall and winter feeding is, then, to be especially recom- 

 mended as a remedial measure against losses among tape-worm infested 

 sheep. With increased prosperity, flock-masters are adding to their 

 shedding at the home corrals. Though the first cost seems considerable, 

 such are the evident benefits in preventing losses during the extremely 

 cold snaps and blizzards, that not only should they be built at the home 

 ranches, but also at the outlyiug ones where now, with few exceptions, 

 none are to be found. 



The water attbrded sheep, more especially lambs, should, if possible, 

 be made warm during the coldest weather. The temperature of sheep 

 is about 103° Fah. In giving them water which is less than 35° Fah., 

 the heat which is necessary to raise the water to the temperature of the 

 animal is withdrawn from other portions of the body, and digestion is 

 often disturbed and less water is drank. Experiment has proven that 

 animals fatten better ou warm water, and were it practicable no water 

 cooler than 60° Fah. should be oftered to sheep. The maintenance of 

 the drinking-water at this temperature for the use of the lambs and 

 other houio stock would probably repay the Western ranchman, as it 

 certainly would the I^asteru farmer. This is impracticable at some 

 ranches, but there are many home ranches where lambs and blooded 

 stock are kept at which the system might be pursued with advantage. 



There is another possible chance of infection which there is no known 

 means of remedying. If, as is probably the case, the tmiia embryo 

 passes with but little modification from sheep to sheep, there is then 

 a certain amount of infection that may occur between the ewes and off- 

 spring when suckling, the Jambs becoming infected with embryo by 

 rubbing them from the mother in nosing around while suckling. As 

 older sheep have the fwiiiw, and as lambs become infected after being 

 weaned, this method of infection is only one of many. 



No medicinal remedies or preventives can be advised. The recom- 

 mendations above are directed toward lessening the chances of infec- 

 tion and preserving the health of the animals. 



It is hoped that the gaps in the life history of Tcenia fimbriata, or 

 others of our unarmed tcenice, may yet be filled out. With a knowl- 

 edge of this history, the methods of prevention would be evident to all. 



Theflocic master should take pains to examine the sheep which die and 



