The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1892-04-01
MAKING READY FOR EARLY LAMBS.
Proper Treatment of Ewes to Insur.
StronS lambs.

Hrlof 10 this time the ewes should
have been provided with dry airy sheds,
with abundance of exercise, and with a
variety of plain coarse foods, inter-
bpersed with a minimum of grain. Hay
Ing had such treatment as this they are
now IN 4 strong, lusty condition and on
the eve of successful lambing season.
AS this time approaches there should be
provided in a separate building or in one
end of the sheep shed a warm, comfort
able room divided into several little pens
four feet square or larger, in each one of
which there should be room for one eve
md her lamb or lambs
In this apartment the early lambing
ewes should be placed few days before
they lamb, that they may have quiet
surroundings and a warm reception room
for the little newcomers. Such quarters
as these can be very cheaply. and easily
made In any common barn or cattle shed
by simply firing out on the inside of
the stUdding with any kind of old boards
and filling the space thus made with
chaf or sawdust. A few poles may be
stretched across overhead with some
straw or cOrnstalks thrown upon them
to aid in keeping the apartment warm
Care should be taken to see that on the
southern or eastern side of the shed two
or three good sized window sashes be
placed in order to let in plenty of warm
sunlight.
This suggestion is for the benefit of
those who may not be able or do not
care to go to the expense Of furnishing
an expensive building with artificial
heat for the ia:nbing rooms. In fact the
above described is about the only sort
that is in use at present at Woodside,
and it is found sufficiently warm and
comfortable for any lambs that are
dropped naturally strong. At times it
may be found necessary to take some
weakly lamb into the kitchen and warm
it by the stove and stimulate it with
little toddy before placing it again with
its dam.
In these quarters tho lambs should be
allowed to remain until they are past
week old and have accumulated consid-
erable flesh and strength. They can
then be removed to another portion of
the shed not quite so securely inclosed,
and where they will receive more exer-
else. 1t is very bad plan to keep these
young lambs confined too closely on the
start; they will take too much food in
proportion to the amount of exercise,
and it will develop the same unhealthy
tendencies that are SO noticeable among
young pigs when too closely confined to
the pens early in the spring.
= very convenient and effective way
for inducing young lambs to take exer-
else when closely confined to the barns
by inclement weather is to stick ND two
Or three planks or boards, one end of the
plank resting on the ground and the
other on the top Of the 'hayrack or any
convenient point of support SO that the
lambs can take Il run up and down the
planks. 1t viii only be necessary to
place the planks; the lambs will under
stand what they are for inside of twenty
and from that time forward
will spend Il good share of their spare
time in caparing back and forth upon
these planEs, thus affording them nice
pastiIne and the fresh, vigorous exercise /
which they SO much need.
1t is wise precaution to take each
eve before she lambs and trim from
around her udder all the loose locks of
wool which may be found clustered
there. The young lamb is very apt in
his greediness to catch the teat to get
hold of one of these sweat locks and
sT1ck it and swallow it before he discov-
ers his mistake. The wool after enter
ing the stomach becomes soaked and ex-
pands like a sponge and frequently be-
comes imbedded in the passage out from
the stomach in such way as to prevent
any food from passing from the stomach
into the bowels unless it be in very
soft and juicy form. No amount of
drenching will remove the obstruction,
for the more fluid you put into the
stomach the more this lock of wool 'ex-
pands and the tighter it fills the passage
IN front of it.
There are many lambs lost every
spring by neglecting this simple precau-
ton of trimming the ewes udders. The
wool should not be all shorn off the I'D
lers, for they are then likely to take
cold in them. The loose long locks
should be clipped off smoothly and
aothing more, so as to leave the teat
thoroughly exposed. In case eve
should chill after lam bing warm ginger
,ea will be found very effective
Where the feeding of the flock has
been carefully attended to garget and
milk fever rarely occurs. breeders
4azette.
Live Stock Points.
Robert Bonner always has a horses
hoes put on cold. He says, "A hot shoe
q relic of barbarity"