Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-05-14

We are in receipt of an inquiry from a
gentleman of Hunter, N. Y, which is
too long for publication. In brief, he is
losing lambs from indigestion, and I
have answered him privately. He brings
out two or three points worthy of con-
sideration by Others. Some of his ewes
drop lambs that are strong and vigorous
at birth, yet the ewes either have no
milk or else their milk is a poisonous
milk, and soon kills the lambs. Here,
then, is point to which l desire espe-
cially TO call attention. Many keeper
of sheep will wean his lambs when the
ewes are producing good flow of milk,
and will pay no further attention to the
ewes. The result is the milk in their
udders sometimes is not taken back in
to the blood by absorption, and by bac-
terial action becomes putrid and poison
Gus, SO that when the lamb partakes of
it il soon dies. In other cases, while the
udder is large and tense, it contains no
milk, or it is filed with cheesy deposit
and the follicleS become filled with it.
Brood sows are treated in the same way
sometimes,~with the result that the pigs
born at future narrowing soon starve to
death or are set to securing by the poi
soned milk. The lesson is, always milk
the ewes from time to time, until dry
sufficiently to prevent this condition of
affairs.
Again, some practice giving cows
milk TO a new born lamb when the
mother has no milk, with the result that
in few days .here is dead lamb, as
the result of the lamb being unable to
digest the cows milk. My experience
leads me to say: Never give cows milk
to n young lamb, by which l mean a
lamb less than forty-eight hours old,
when it can possibly be avoided. In
most cases when ewes are dropping
their lambs some will have udders with
a surplus of milk, from which can be
drawn enough to feed other lambs be-
sides the ewes own lambs. Feed the
newborn lambs on this milk, and not on
cows milk, until the bowels are well
started in operation. Lamb raisers and
breeders of all animals should take into
that the first milk of the
mother contains elements not found in
the milk a few days later, and when
these elements are lacking digestion
cannot 60 on properly. Cows milk
unless the COW has, within one or two
days before, become fresh in milk-the
chances are, will simply curdle, and not
digest in the lambs stomach. We see
the same condition in young colts when
the mother has leaked milk to con-
siderable extent before foaling. We
also see it in the case of young calves
which Immediately after birth are not
allowed to nurse their mothers, but are
given milk from cows that have been in
lactation several weeks, that nearly
every calf will show more or less indi-
gestion. 1t is a great drawbac to veal
calf farming where those engaged in it
are taking calves Immediately from their
mothers and putting them upon cows
long in lactatiou.
But TO the eve again. Her milk is
still more filled with elements that act
upon digestion than is either cows milk
or mares milk. As high as u per cent
of butter fat has been found in ewes
milk at the time of giving birth, while
where the lamb was six weeks old the
milk of the same eve contained only 4
per cent of fat. As a general rule ewes
milk will remain high in butter fat for a
period varying from three to six weeks,
after which it has been found to change
rapidly By dropping down to about 3
per cent Fat where the eve is being fed
upon dry food. Hence we see why 1T is
that lambs grow very fat for the first
month and also take on fat when they
have their mothers milk in plenty. We
see again why it is that lambs frequently
become constipated at the age of three
or four weeks, or perhaps will be at
tackled with scour. They are eating
more or less of solid food, and the rapid
change in the character of the ewes
milk makes the lambs food indigeStible.
Rheumatic disease or lamb apoplexy
will sometimes result, and fiDe, fat
lambs will be found dead in the barn.
AS precaution, don't feed the large,
ewes so heavy grain ration.
Try To furnish them some roots, or give
linseed oil meal in their grain rations.
Upon the first appearance of constipa-
tion in the lamb give the eve four
ounce dose of EPSON salts. If a lamb
shows stiffness, give tablespoonful OF
castor oil and teaspoonful OF spirits OF
nllre. IL IL lOScS tiIc uoO Va isc hIhoo
and becomes helpless, put it in tub OF
water just as hot as the hands can bear,
and let the lamb soak for full twenty
minutes. Immerse the whole body,
the head alone out of the water.
Take it out, make it as dry as possible,
then wrap it in all wool blankets until
perfectly dry. This with good nursing,
will save many of them.
As a summary, / will say: When
lambs are growing very rapidly and are
about three or four weeks old feed the
mothers less grain and more roots, or
get them out on little grass where
possible. Feed the mothers of those
that are not growing rapidly, from lack
of milk, all they can stand of oats,
wheat bran and linseed oil meal, making
the mixture of oats, of bran, by
weight, and half quart of linseed oil
meal. This is when the ewes are eating
dry, rough food.-C. d. Smead in Trib-
une Farmer.