Managing the Farm Flock 35 



strongly convince me that drugs and sheep do not go together. Just as 

 long as men depend on drugs to eliminate physical difficulties, just that 

 long will they be breeding for themselves disappointments, and also the 

 difficulties which they wish to eliminate. 



Teaching Lambs to Eat Early 



In preparing lambs for market, build a creep near feeding ground 

 and feed them all of the following or any other good grain mixture that 

 they will eat. The figures indicate parts by weight. Start lambs eating 

 hay and grain early. A little sugar sprinkled on the feed, or a taste 

 from the hand vi^ill start them eating. 



FIRST PERIOD SECOND PERIOD THIRD PERIOD 



(30 Days) (30 Days) (30 Days) 



Com, ground 6 Corn, whole or Com, whole 6 



Oats, crushed 6 ground 6 Oats, whole 3 



Cottonseed or linseed Oats, whole or Linseed oil meal. .. . 1 



meal 6 crushed 6 Hay or pasture 



Clover or alfalfa hay Cottonseed or linseed 



Wheat bran 6 meal 2 



Hay or pasture 



Docking 



Cleanliness in feed, water and everything is imperative. Dock and 

 castrate lambs any time after they are five days old, but it should be 

 done within three weeks after birth if possible. There are several 

 methods to be employed in docking, but the one adopted by the most 

 successful shepherds is to tie or cord the tail very tight with paper 

 fleece twine, just above where it is to be cut. Use a bright, clean, wide 

 wood chisel, a large pair of evenly sharpened pincers or a sharp knife. 

 It is generally best to do the docking in the evening, so the lambs will 

 lie down and do no fretting. Be sure to remove the cord the next morn- 

 ing, leaving it on only about twelve hours. Heavy paper fleece twine 

 makes an ideal cord as it is large enough not to cut the flesh. The tail 

 should be cut off about 1 to ll^ inches from the rump. It is also 

 important to push the tail towards the body at the time the severance 

 is being made, so that there is enough loose skin to close over the stump. 

 Pine tar may be used if the flies are bad. 



Patent docking irons are often used, which bum through the tail. 

 There is hardly any loss of blood, but if the iron is too hot, the wound 

 may be slow in healing. A board with a hole in it, to pull the tail 

 through serves to regulate the distance from the body to sever the tail, 

 and also keeps from burning the lamb. The irons should be quite hot 

 and the operation performed quickly, so as not to unnecessarily burn 

 the tail. 



Castrating 



Castrating should be done at the same time as the docking, or the 

 following morning. Lambs should always be held gently, but firmly. 

 The knife or shears should be bright and clean, and a nice, clean place 

 should be selected for the operation. Cut off lower third of the scrotum, 



