134 Western Live-stock Management 



in small bunches at first so that the lamb and ewe may not 

 become separated. A ewe separated from her lamb for 

 a period of twenty-four hours, loses its scent and con- 

 sequently disowns it. In such a case not only is the lamb 

 lost, but the ewe's udder may become spoiled. All lambs 

 which are disowned or whose mothers have died are 

 known as "bums." They are usually given over to some 

 ewe that has lost her lamb; this failing, they must be 

 taken to the ranch house and brought up on bottles, or 

 else allowed to die. Wherever there is any difficulty in 

 making the ewe own the lamb, the ewe is put in an in- 

 dividual lambing pen along with the lamb and left there 

 for such time as may be necessary. When this treat- 

 ment fails, other or additional measures may be adopted ; 

 for instance, the ewe may be fastened in a stanchion made 

 by driving two stakes in the ground about four inches 

 apart at the bottom and fastened together at the top 

 with a small rope or wire. Rubbing some of the ewe's 

 milk on the lamb will also assist, Since the ewe recognizes 

 her lamb entirely by scent, and not by sight, sound, or 

 touch. When a ewe is expected to own a lamb not her 

 own, as when her own lamb has died, it is a very common 

 practice to take the skin of the dead lamb and fasten 

 it over the back of the other lamb. In no case should the 

 skin be left on the adopted lamb longer than twenty-four 

 to forty-eight hours. If the ewe and lamb are kept in a 

 small pen, no further difficulty will be experienced. 



The tendency of ewes to disown the lambs is partly 

 dependent on the natural disposition of the ewes and 

 partly on the feed and treatment which they have re- 

 ceived. Ewes that are thin and badly run down at lamb- 

 ing time will not own their lambs as readily as those that 

 are in better condition. Hard late winters are usually 



