Feeding Sheep 239 
term “ hot-house ” lambs has led many to think that extra warm 
quarters must be provided, some thinking that artificial heat 
must be used, others that the roof or side of the sheep barn should 
be of glass construction, resembling a green-house. Not only is 
such extra equipment unnecessary, but if the quarters are too 
warm, neither the ewes or lambs will thrive. On the other hand, 
winter lambs cannot be grown if the ewes are exposed to the rain, 
snow, or storm. The winter quarters must be well lighted, well 
ventilated, and free from draughts. There should be sufficient 
window. space to make the quarters light and comfortable. Arti- 
ficial heat is entirely unnecessary. 
386. Feeding the lambs. — The ewes should be fed milk-pro- 
ducing foods, such as wheat bran, silage, and clover hay, in order 
that the milk flow be large, but in addition to the dam’s milk the 
lambs should be taught to eat grain as soon as they will take to it. 
Some lambs will begin to nibble grain when only ten days or two 
weeks old, and they should be encouraged to do so. A lamb 
creep should be provided. This “‘ creep ” consists of a little pen 
with openings so small that the lambs may pass in and out at will, 
but through which the sheep cannot pass. The grain boxes within 
the creep should be flat-bottomed, and placed rather low. The 
first feed put into the trough may be wheat bran, to which has been. 
added a little brown sugar. At first it may be necessary to aid 
the lambs by placing some of this mixture on their lips. The 
troughs must be cleaned daily and the food kept fresh. After 
the lambs have learned to eat grain, the following mixtures should 
be used: 40 parts of cracked corn, 50 parts of wheat bran, and 10 
parts of oil meal, coarse ground. This may be varied by adding 
oats, barley, or gluten feed, as circumstances demand. Lambs 
thus cared for should grow rapidly and fatten at the same time, so 
that by the time they are ten to twelve weeks of age, they will 
weigh from 50 to 60 pounds, when they should be slaughtered. 
387. Growing spring lambs.— Because of the difficulty in 
getting ewes to conceive sufficiently early for the growing of winter 
