200 WEANING AND FAIX FEEDING. 



very dry summers of the United States ; and as a general 

 thing I have found good fresh rowen or after -math on 

 meadows, or the new seeded grass in grain stubbles, better 

 feed for lambs than rested pastures, unless the latter have 

 been seeded the same or the previous year, and the grass on 

 them is tender and fresh. 



Both of the above quotations, however, teach one valuable 

 lesson to those who have not already learned it — the high 

 importance of giving lambs generous keep from the time 

 of weaning until winter in order that they may continue 

 growing rapidly during that entire period. If by poor keep 

 or any other cause, their growth is seriously arrested, and 

 instead of the rounded plumpness of thrifty lambs, they put 

 on the dried-up appearance of " little old sheep " — the poorer 

 ones are likely to pei'ish outright before the close of winter ; 

 and by no amount of care or feed can the others be brought to 

 the next spring equal with lambs which receive only common 

 feed in winter, but which were kept properly through the fall 

 months. 



Lambs, when separated from their dams for weaning, 

 should, if the feed is good enough, be left for a few days in 

 the field where the flock has been previously kept — their dams 

 being taken away to a new one. The lambs are more 

 contented and make fewer efforts to escape when thus familiar 

 with the place. - The two fields should be so far apart that 

 they cannot hear each others' bleating. If this is imprac- 

 ticable, the fence should be carefully stopped, for if a few 

 lambs crawl through and again reach their danis, they wiU not 

 give up renewing their efforts to •escape and communicating 

 their own restlessness to the others, for twice the usual weaning 

 period. Two or three escapes establish a habit which it is 

 difficult to overcome. 



It is a great advantage to put two or three very tame old 

 crones which have not lambs of their own, or a lead wether, 

 among the lambs, to teach them to come at the call ; and to 

 lead them up to, and set them the example of eating salt, 

 trough -feed, etc. 



The dams should be put on the dryest feed on the farm for 

 a fortnight after separation, to stop their flow of milk. The 

 udders of some of them may require to be milked out once or 

 twice, and if these exhibit much redness and warmth, they 

 should be bathed as recommended at page 158. Smearing 

 the udders with a thick, pasty mixture of soap and water, 

 after a previous washing in cold water, is sometimes resorted 



