The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-02-06

necessary TO take 1t from the eve, ana
the sooner the better, as when decom-
position sets in the case is very doubt
tul aud pffensive.
Docking and castrating are opera
tons that should be performed when
the lambs are rightly started, or when
they are two or three weeks old. The
writer pays no attention to signs, or
moon. or any other heavenly bodies,
except that he wants the sun to shine
out clear in the morning and give
promise of warm pleasant days. Cen
orally both operations are performed at
the one time. Three presons can per-
form the work to best advantage. The
person who is to do the surgical part OF
the work should provide himself with a
sharp knife and broad chisel, or sharp
straigh edged Ratchet. He should also
have ready some of the many ONT
ments that are applied to the scrotum
after castration. The writer uses an
ointment prepared as follows: Lard,
l quart; tar, 1.2 pint; spirits OF tur-
pentine, gill; and line salt, gill !;
heated enough to mix thoroughly.
The operator should also have SOL
id table or block upon which to per-
form. Everything being ready, the
person who holds the lambs should
take it from the catcher and grasp it SO
that each hand will hold.a fore and
hind leg crossed at the knee joints, and
then place it on the table sitting on its
rump aud inclined back. The operator
then takes the scrotum by the extreme
tip, which he cuts off. Then with one
hand he pushes back the skin so as to
expose the. end of the testices, which
he seizes with the other hand and
brings away with a smart jerk. Some
operators after the testicles are expos
ed use the knife again, believing that
makes the operation less severe. Then
the operator should rub the ointment
into the sCrotum and on the inside of
the thighs surrounding
Next he should push back the skin of
the tail at its base towards its rump,
and with the chisel or other tool bring
of the tail with a clear cut. Owing to
the flow of blood from the artery of the
tail it is difficult, at the time, to apply
the ointment to it, and generally not
necessary, unless from lateness of the
season there is danger of flies. The
lambs should be allowed to remain
quiet for several hours, and if the
weather is quiet warm should be kept
in the shade until bleeding has ceased.
They should be examined for some
days, and if any are very sore and in
famed they should have ointment ap.
piled.
Lambs readily learn to eat both grain
and hay or grass. BY making separ-
ate enclosure where they can have feed
by themselves they can be made to
grow much faster. 1t often happens
that the most growthy and thrifty lambs
are taken with disease that is very ia
tai, at from two to four weeks of age.
Sometimes they die in an hour or halt
day. This is one of the most veXatious
and perplexing diseases to which lambs
are subject. The lamb shows symp.
toms of the disease by staggering
around and, apparently the optic nerve
seems TO have ceased to perform its
functions. The lamb will run against
objects and show no desire to suck
generally it foams at the mouth; often
wanders off holding its head down
Many theories have been advanced tC
account for the disease and remedie.
suggested. The writer's theory is Civ
, en- tor what it is worth, as it seems tC
him to accord with the diagnosis OF
cases happening under his own obser.
walton. The condition arises from in
digestion, or more strictly inability on
the part of the lamb to digest all the
, milk of the eve. As it cannot digest il
the milk curdles in the stomach and
stops up the outlet from the stomach tC
the bowels. The fact of the intimate
connection between the stomach anG
, brain-hOwever intricate and obscure
: it may be accounts for the mental alb
erration and speedy fatality. Owing
to the rapid course of the disease it il
+ seldom that anything can be done il
I time. Some shepherds cut off the tai
, or ears in hopes of relieving the brail
in that way. In the observation of the
writer very few cases are ever relieved
, bv any treatment. Ii would seem tC
: be better to try to prevent it liz some
. way 1.-THE ewes are milking an abund
r ance of milk, and the lambs are round
, ing out very fast, it would be better
p to try to lessen the flow of milk, by
\ putting ewes on shorter pasture, OF
q keeping them in house part of the day
- Sometimes, if the operations of dock
q ing and castration are performed a
this time, it slaves it off and sometimes
t has no effect.
Q Sheep houses should be kept free o
manure, as spring comes on, to proven
: the giving off of heat and n xious gases
which are very unhealthy. Any con
f siderable amount of manure at this tim
e of the year will give of the fumes o
! ammonia in large volumes. This anC
I bad odors is very offensive to sheep
r and will cause them to run down i
: continued.
n At the time the grass begins to star
+ the shepherd should trim away tn
b wool around the breech, and in case
: of pregnant ewes off their udders also
!. This is good time also for pairing tn
= feet, as there is less Likelihood of get
!. ting CALLED between the toes if trim
d med, and they can travel better owe
l. muddy or soft ground. The grain IA
r ton and hay should not be taken from
If sheep at once in the spring, but gradu
S ally. In the case of sheep fed for tn
t market it is often necessary to increas