LAMBING. 
593 
are about to be castrated. Short tails are of much conse¬ 
quence when they are attacked by the disorder called pinding. 
While ewes are nursing, the pasture should be good, and 
they should be kept on the same feeding ground until their 
lambs are weaned. 
It is of importance that the shepherd should be almost 
constantly with his flock during the lambing season, so as 
to assist such ewes as require it in cases of difficult partu¬ 
rition. In this office he should act with great gentleness, 
and watch the times when nature is acting her part to dis¬ 
charge the lamb. 
When lambs are weakly, the shepherd should hold them 
up to the teats of their dam to suck. And in cases where 
the dam dies, he should endeavour to get another ewe to 
adopt the orphan lamb; and when he cannot succeed in 
this, should carry it home, as well as any weakly ones, 
so that they may receive his fostering care, or that of his 
family. This may be done by drawing off the milk from 
the udders of ewes that have an abundance of it, or from 
ewes which have lost their lambs. Lambs seldom attempt 
to eat grass for fourteen days, and during this time their 
whole sustenance consists of milk. 
It not unfrequently happens that lambs die from hungei, 
in consequence of their dams refusing to suckle them. 
When this is the case, the poor lamb will be seen running 
about, and following any sheep it may come near, while it 
utters a mournful bleat. When it attempts to suck its dam, 
she will run off from it to a distance. When this is noticed 
the shepherd should examine the ewe, when he will find 
that sore nipples, or some other disease is the cause of her 
want of maternal care. If he discovers that sore nipples is 
the reason she deserts her young, they should be anointed 
with some emollient ointment to heal them : such as com- 
