Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-05-16
LOOKING AFTER THE LAMBS
Those Dropped Late Should
= Receive as Good Care as
the Early Ones.

The greater part Of the crop Of
spring lambs will have been dropped
oy this time, yet there will be more or
less coming along till May. Should
lambs be dropped from now on they
must be as carefully looked after as
those that came earlier, because neg
iect during cold rains or damp, windy
weather will surely cause many of
them to die.
One cause of stomach trouble in
lambs is due to the fact that the lamb
does not suck all the milk in the dams
udder during it's first day or two. If
this milk is not all removed it is very
likely to make the lamb sick and many
die from this cause.
Every dam should be examined at
first to ascertain whether the milk
flows freely or not. If it does not the
udder should be MIXED clean by hand
for day or two, because the milk in
the udder when the lamb. is born is
intended by nature for the lamb at
birth, and is unfit for it later 1t is
like the food provided in the intestines
of newly Matched chicks.
Too many farmers feed their ewes
heavily with milk producing food at
the start This is a mistake. The
eve should be fed moderately for the
first day or two, and her ration in
creased gradually after the lamb is
sucking vigorously. More lambs are
killed by too much milk than starye
for lack Of it.
Lambs should be placed with their
mother In a small pen or with small
number of ewes and lambs entirely
separated from the main flock. They
can receive better care in this way
Caked udder Is a common disease
among Landing ewes and is due very
largely to an overabundance of milk
at Landing time. Great care should be
observed and if any indication of trou-
Bile appears applications of hot water
should at once be applied and the I'D
der gently worked and rubbed with
camphor and belladonna.
Garget is a bacterial disease and diff
ferent from the common caked udder,
and 1t is generally fatal.
When the eve shows a keen appetite
she should be fed clover, rye, alfalfa,
wheat bran. oats and a BIT Of oil cake
occasionally. AS the lamb grows it
VIII demand more food, and the farmer
who neglects to give his eve plenty of
milk producing feed will have stunted
and puny lambs. Never feed timothy
hay to sucking ewes.
The lambs must be taught to eat hay
and grain as early as practicable. It
VIII indicate its desire for change of
diet by nibbling at the hay and the
stuff in the feed trough, and when it
shows that it's mothers milk is not
sufficient it should be provided with a
creep in order that it may learn to eat
undisturbed. This is nothing more
than a separate pen with small door
through which the lamb can enter. but
the eve cannot.
The creep should be alongside the
dams pen and should have plenty of
sunlight. The food for the lambs
should be placed in low troughs and
the youngster will quickly learn to fire.
quently run in for nibble Of the
tempting hay or ground grain.
It is a good plan to teach the lamb
to eat by putting a bit of grain in its
mouth, but this should always be done
at the feeding troughs in the creep. It
is surprising how soon it will acquire
a taste for grain and hay.
Be careful to feed the lamb only
freshly ground wheat bran, as musty
stuff will cause trouble. Sheep are
dainty feeders always, and will not eat
sour or rotten feed of any kind.
If the lamb is to be fattened quickly
give him ground corn, or oats beans
and alfalfa, or clover hay with a little
oil meal.
But if the lamb is to be kept for
breeding purposes it should not be fed
heavily because it's constitution is
greatly impaired thereby.