Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 1.djvu/428

Rh 394 AGRICULTURE [LIVE STOCK months old, from 20th September to 20th October, accord ing to the climate of the particular locality, is a usual time for admitting rams to ewes. A few weeks before this takes place the ewes are removed from bare pasture, and put on the freshest that the farm affords, or, better still, on rape; failing which one good feed of white turnips per diem is carted and spread on their pastures, or the ewes are folded for part of the day on growing turnips. The rams are turned in amongst them just when this better fare has begun to tell in their improving appearance, as it is found that in such circumstances they come in heat more rapidly, and with a greatly increased likelihood of conceiving twins. On level ground, and Avith moderate- sized enclosures, one ram suffices for sixty ewes ; but it is bad economy to overtask the rams, and one to forty ewes is better practice. Sometimes a large lot of ewes are kept in one flock, and several rams, at the above proportion, turned among them promiscuously. It is better, however, when they can be placed in separate lots. The breasts of the rams are rubbed with ruddle, that the shepherd may know what they are about. Those who themselves breed rams, or others who hire in what they use at high prices, have recourse to a different plan for the purpose of getting more service from each male, and of knowing exactly when each ewe may be expected to lamb ; and also of putting each ewe to the ram most suitable to her in point of size, figure, and quality of flesh and fleece. The rams in this case are kept in pens in a small enclosure. What is techni cally called a teaser is turned among the general flock of ewes, which, on being seen to be in heat, are brought up and put to the ram that is selected for them. They are then numbered, and a note kept of the date, or otherwise a common mark, varied for each successive week, is put on all as they come up. The more usual practice is to mark the breast of the ram with ruddle, as already described, for the first seventeen days that they are among the ewes that being the time of the periodic recurrence of the heat and then to use soot instead. When lambing-time draws near, the red-rumped ewes, or those that conceived from the first copulation, are brought into the fold, and the remainder after the lapse of the proper interval. If all goes on well, six weeks is long enough for the rams to remain with the flock. The. ewes are then put to more moderate fare, taking care, however, not to pinch them, but to preserve the due medium betwixt fatness and poverty. Under the first-mentioned extreme there is great risk of losing both ewe and lamb at the time of parturition ; and under the second, of the ewe shedding her wool, and being unable to nourish her lamb properly either before its birth or after. When there is a consider able breadth of grass-land, the grit or in-lamb ewes are run thinly upon it so long as the weather continues moderate. As the pasturage fails or winter weather sets in, they receive a daily feed of turnips or hay, or part of both. In districts where the four-course rotation is pursued, and wheat sown after seeds, there is a necessity for keeping the ewes wholly on turnips and chopped hay or straw. In this case they are made to follow the fattening sheep, and to eat up their scraps, an arrangement which is suitable for both lots. A recently-introduced practice is better still namely, to feed the ewes at this season on a mixture of one part by measure of pulped turnips or mangel-wurzel to two of chopped straw, which is served out to them in troughs set down in their pastures. From the large quantity of straw which ewes are thus induced to eat, they can be allowed to take their fill of this mixture, and be kept in a satisfied and thriving state with a very moderate allowance of roots. As their time to lamb draws near, the mess should be made more nourishing by adding to it ground rape-cake, bean-meal, and bran, at the rate of from |th to Jd of a pound of each of these articles to each ewe daily. The period of gestation in the ewe is twenty-one weeks. No lambs that are born more than twelve days short of this period survive. Before any lambs are expected to arrive a comfortable fold is provided, into which either the entire flock of ewes, or those that by their markings are known to lamb first, are brought every night. This fold, which may either be a permanent erection or fitted up annually for the occasion, is provided all round with separate pens or cribs of size enough to accommodate a single ewe with her lamb or pair. The pasture or turnip fold to which the flock is turned by day is also furnished with several temporary but well-sheltered cribs, for the reception of such ewes as lamb during the day. It is of especial consequence that ewes producing twins be at once consigned to a separate apartment, as, if left in the crowd, they frequently lose sight of one lamb, and may refuse to own it when restored to them, even after a very short separation. Some ewes will make a favourite of one lamb, and wholly repudiate the other, even when due care has been taken to keep them together from the first. In this case the favourite must either be separated from her or be muzzled with a piece of network, to prevent it from getting more than its share of the milk in the shepherd s absence. Indeed the maternal affection seems much dependent on the flow of milk, as ewes with a well-filled udder seldom trouble the shepherd by such capricious partialities. As soon as the lambs have got fairly afoot, their dams are turned with them into the most forward piece of seeds, or to rape, rye, winter-oats, or water-meadow, the great point being to have abundance of succulent green food for the ewes as soon as they lamb. Without this they cannot yield milk abundantly, and without plenty of milk it is im possible to have good lambs. It is sometimes necessary to aid a lamb that has a poor nurse with cow s milk. This is at best a poor alternative ; but if it must be resorted to, it is only the milk of a farrow cow, or at least of one that has been calved six months, that is at all fit for this pur pose. To give the milk of a recently-calved cow to a young lamb is usually equivalent to knocking it on the head. Ewe milk is poor in butter, but very rich in curd, which is known to be also in a measure the character of that of cows that have been long calved and are not again pregnant. We have found the Aberdeen yellow bullock turnip the best for pregnant and nursing ewes. Mangel- wurzel is much approved of by the flockmasters of the southern counties for the same purpose. It is of impor tance at this season to remove at once from the fold and pens all dead lambs, and filth of every kind, the presence of putrefying matter being most hurtful to the flock. Should a case of puerperal fever occur, the shepherd must scrupulously avoid touching the ewe so affected ; or if he has done so, some one should take his accoucheur duties for a few days, as this deadly malady is highly contagious, and is often unconsciously communicated to numbers of the flock by the shepherd s hands. Unnecessary inter ference with ewes during parturition is much to be depre cated. When the presentation is all right, it is best to leave them as much as possible to their natural efforts. When a false presentation does occur, the shepherd must endeavour to rectify it by gently introducing his hand after first lubricating it with fresh lard or olive-oil. The less dogging or disturbance of any kind that ewes receive during pregnancy the less risk is there of unnatural presentations. As soon as lambs are brought forth the shepherd must give them suck. When they have once got a bellyful, and are protected from wet or excessive cold for two or three days, there is no fear of their taking harm from ordinary weather, provided only that the ewes have plenty of suit-