28p REARING. 



if they, are a large litter. In the fourth week get 'a sheep's head, 

 boil it in a quart of water till the meat comes completely to 

 pieces, then carefully take away every particle of bone, and break 

 up the- meat into fragments no larger than a small horse-bean ; 

 mix all up with the broth, thicken this, to the consistence of cream 

 with fine wheat flour, boil for a quarter of an hour, then cool 

 and give alternately with the milk. At this time the- milk may 

 also be thickened with flour , and as the puppies grow, and-the 

 milk of the bitch decreases in quantity, the amount of milk and 

 thickened broth must be increased each day, as well as more fre- 

 quently given. Some art, fouuded on experience, is required not 

 to satiate the puppies ; but, by carefully increasing the quantity 

 whenever the puppies have finished it greedily the last time or 

 two, they will not be overdone. In no case should the pan con?- 

 taining the food be left in the intervals with the puppies, if they 

 have not cleared it out, as they only become disgusted with it, 

 and next time refuse to feed. A sheep's head will serve a litter ■ 

 of large- sized puppies two days up to weaning, more or less 

 according to numbers and age. 



CHOICE OF PLACE FOR WHELPING. 



The whelping-place, up to the third week, may' be confined to 

 a square yard or two, floored with board as already described. 

 After the third week, when the puppies begin to run about, access 

 should be given them to a larger run, and an inclined plane 

 should be arranged for them to get up and down from their, 

 boarded stage. If the weather is cold, the best place for a bitch 

 to whelp is in a saddle-room warmed ■ by a stove ; or an empty 

 stall, with a two-foot board placed across the bottom, opposite the 



