38 
stormy or fair. My yards I keep as dry as possible, littering them both, 
in the open yards and under the sheds with dry straw, as often as be¬ 
comes necessary, as I consider it important that the earth should be kept 
dry under the feet of the sheep. I keep good pure water and salt acces¬ 
sible to each flock at all times. I feed to them as much good hay as they 
will eat, preferring pure clover. 
“I commence serving my ewes the middle of hfovember, and finish by 
the middle of December, which brings the lambs from the 15th of April 
to the 15th of May. 
“ About the first of April I commence feeding my breeding ewes with 
carrots, cut fine, and mixed with ground oats and shorts, in equal pro¬ 
portions ; feeding in clean troughs, from one to one and one-lialf gill per 
head daily, feeding more to those in feeble condition. I find this feed ad¬ 
mirably adapted to increase the milk, so that the lambs have a supply 
from the first. 
“ Before serving the ewes I am careful to have them in fine condition ; 
and I do not let my sheep leave their yards from the time of yarding until 
they are turned out to pasture in the spring, as I find they do better on 
dry feed only than when permitted to feed partly on grass and partly on 
dry feed. 
“ At lambing time I do not let the breeding ewes go out unless in 
warm, pleasant days, and then shelter them at night, at all times until 
the weather becomes warm. I use extra care at this time to keep the 
sheds and yards well littered with clean straw, so as to be perfectly dry 
under foot. 
“Before turning them out of their yards in the spring' all of my sheep 
are tagged; and, if necessary, their hoofs are trimmed to prevent disease 
of the feet. By tagging sufficient avooI is saved to pay all extra expense, 
and the sheep do much better. 
“ During the dropping season my shepherd spends his whole time with 
the sheep, taking care of them and their lambs. As soon as the lambs 
are dropped, the ewe and her offspring are separated from those which 
have not lambed. 
• 
“I do not let my sheep out in the spring until the feed is sufficient for 
them to get their living without hay. I continue feeding grain for a short 
) 
