Suffolk  Sheep. 
75 
1st  to  11th,  so  that  lambing  does  not  begin,  as  a rule,  until 
there  is  a fair  prospect  of  the  spring  feed  making  a start. 
During  the  day  the  flock  will  come  off  the  fold  of  “coleworts” 
or  other  forcing  fodder  crop,  and  have  a run  out  on  “ layers,” 
grass  or  stubble.  When  good  sound  marshes  or  upland  pas- 
tures that  have  been  cattle  fed  are  available,  mating  frequently 
takes  place  on  them,  and  the  ewes  on  such  land  for  four 
or  five  weeks  are  found  to  do  equally  as  well  as  those  on  the 
arable.  In  November  the  ewes  will  commence  feeding  the 
white  turnips  which  will  be  their  mainstay  during  December, 
January  and  February,  on  which  they  will  be  folded  at  night 
running  out  on  grass  during  the  day-time.  During  these 
months  the  heath-land  is  found  very  useful,  especially  during 
a wet  season : it  cleans  their  feet,  gives  them  exercise  so 
necessary  for  breeding  animals,  and  keeps  them  in  good  health. 
Some  land  which  is  thought  or  known  to  be  unsound  for 
sheep  when  fed  with  turnips,  has  to  be  cropped  for  the  ewes 
with  cabbage  and  kale.  For  a month  or  six  weeks  before 
lambing,  the  ewes  get  trough  food  consisting  of  a mixture 
of  linseed  and  cotton  cake  with  crushed  oats  or  bran,  from 
\ to  | of  a lb.  of  this  mixture  is  given  per  head.  With  such 
feeding  the  ewes  come  strong  to  the  lambing  pen,  and  give 
plenty  of  milk.  It  is  often  found  beneficial,  for  a short 
period  before  lambing,  to  give  some  mangold  to  the  flock,  about 
a cart-load  for  200  ewes  thrown  out  for  them  on  the  grass. 
These  have  the  effect  of  keeping  their  bowels  in  a nice  healthy 
condition. 
In  March,  a lambing  pen,  such  as  has  often  been  described, 
is  formed  of  hurdles  thatched  with  bracken,  or  failing  this 
fern  straw,  is  provided  as  near  the  supply  of  growing  fodder 
as  possible. 
During  the  lambing  time,  the  ewes  lie  in  this  yard  at  night. 
As  soon  as  lambs  are  strong  enough,  they  and  their  mothers 
go  out  on  to  the  fodder  crops,  the  ewes  getting  the  trough 
food  as  before,  only  now  in  increased  quantity,  about  1 lb. 
per  head  per  day.  Lamb  hurdles  or  “creeps”  are  set  up  so 
that  the  young  ones  can  run  on  forward  getting  the  pick  of 
the  feed ; they  will  also  be  provided  with  small  covered 
troughs  in  which  is  put  the  usual  mixture. 
Ewes  with  twins  have  a run  out  on  the  rye  or  mixed  layers 
in  addition  to  the  ordinary  fold  of  fodder  crop  given  to  the 
whole  flock. 
By  April  turnips  will  be  finished,  and  kale  or  early  cabbage 
ready,  and  a piece  of  early  Italian  rye  grass  and  trefoil  should 
be  available.  These  with  mangold  form  the  main  diet  with  a 
run  out  on  rye  and  mixed  layers  and  grasses.  As  the  lambs 
take  readily  to  the  trough  food,  that  of  the  ewes  is  gradually 
