138 Western Live-stock Management 



in one of the night lambing pens marked B. The duties 

 of the day-drop picker are similar to those of the night- 

 drop picker, but instead of placing the ewe and lamb in one 

 of the lambing pens marked B, he places them in pen A. 

 The duties of the shed-men are to care for all ewes that 

 enter the shed, shift them to their proper pens, and give 

 such special attention as may be necessary. 



The system of management with the other type of 

 shed may be outlined as follows : Whenever a ewe drops 

 a lamb, she and her lamb are moved by means of a sled 

 to the nearest opening in the shed. They are immedi- 

 ately placed in one of the individual pens marked A. 

 Here they are kept for twenty-four hours. If proper 

 maternal relationships are well established at this time, 

 they are moved across the alley into one of the larger open 

 pens marked B with several other ewes and their lambs. 

 Here they are kept for three to six days depending on the 

 strength of the lamb. From pens B they go into the 

 yards marked C. These pens are large enough to hold 

 about 200-250 head of ewes and their lambs. In these 

 large pens the ewes remain until grass comes, at which 

 time the bands are made up for the range. 



In both the types of lambing sheds, it is necessary to 

 feed the ewes as they lamb before grass is good. A very 

 common feed is chopped alfalfa hay. Often a little 

 grain is fed to insure a good milk flow. All pens in lamb- 

 ing sheds must be well supplied with running water. 



The system of lambing in the shed has several distinct 

 advantages, which can be enumerated as follows : first, a 

 great saving of labor; second, a larger percentage of 

 lambs ; third, less orphans and dead lambs result ; fourth, 

 better and stronger lambs, as the ewes cared for in this 

 manner give more milk. 



