Meade County news., 1917-03-22
EWES AND LAMBS
AT LANDING Time
The First Few Minutes in the
Life of a Lamb is the Most
C ritiCal Period
KEEP EWES IN GOOD CONDITION
Care Of Sheep as Explained by A. m.
Paterson, Kansas Agricultural Col
leoe. Manhattan, Kansas.


lambing season the flock should have
a little more attention. Ewes that are
in poor condition should be sorted out
by themselves and given little extra
feed; this feed should be such as will
stimulate the flow of milk. With al
falfa or clover hay for roughness, q
pound or one and one-half pounds Of
grain daily should put the flock in ex.
cellent condition. A good mixture OF
grain at this time would be sixty per
cent OF corn chop. thirty per cent of
bran. and ten per cent of oil meal II
the flock Is in good condition, the pro-
portion of corn might be decreased or
eliminated altogether. Oats and bar
icy make an excellent substitute for
corn, but are generally too expensive
in Kansas.
When the lambs begin coming and
especially If the weather is cold and
close attention must be given the flock
if all the lambs are saved. Many new
born lambs are very delicate, and if
the flock has not been properly fed
and cared for during the winter sea-
son often the lambs are weak and
have not strength enough to get up
and nurse. Ii q lamb gets badly
chilled before it gets up it soon loses
all hopes of life, and unless attention
Is given 1t will be lost. Then many
of the ewes will have twins. and some
triplets. In cases OF this kind one
lamb may be weaker than the other
and Is frequently neglected by It's
mother. Pens about four feet square
should be provided for the ewes to
lamb in. This protects the young
lambs from the rest OF the flock and
keeps them from getting separated
from their mothers A portable hur-
die which may be placed around the
eve when lambing is inexpensive and
serves the purpose. 1t sometimes hap
pens where twins are born that the
mother will refuse to own the weaker
lamb. In case of this kind take the
stronger iRmb away for an hour or
two and the mother will usually turn
her attention to the other lamb, and
when the stronger lamb is put back
with her she will own them both. In
case one eve has lost her lamb and
another has twins or triplets, one OF
them should be given to the eve that
has lost her lamb. Sometimes there
Is little trouble in getting the fos-
ter mother to own such lambs, and It
may be necessary to tie her up with
a small rope halteH. or In small
stanchiOn for day or two so that she
cannot injure the lamb. Some shep-
herds advise taking the skin from the
dead lamb and rubbing it thoroughly
over the lamb that is to be changed.
The reason for this Ia that ewes rec.
Ognize their lambs largely by scent.
and II the scent from the dead lamb
10 fastsasa on the lsmb being changed
the eWe Will usually quickly claim Il
'as heF ORa. It is also sometimes
helpful, where, lAmbs ars ,,s being
| chah6 6Sd from 'uns 'eEeztP 1Sn0th stl0
milk q lfttIS 'fr6R thS eve that 10 70
AdOpt the lamb over tho lamb bat the
halter or stAnchioa will usually bO
found sufficient and less bother.
Attendants should 500 that the
young lamb gotta up and nurses by the
time It 10 fifteen or twenty minutes
old. and when Il 10 once up and full
OF milk there will be little need OF Civ.
Ing It further attention. In case the
lambs should have been dropped with
out the attendant being present and
have become badly chilled before be-
ing found, they should be taken in by
a fire. II this is not convenient, a jug
OF hot water set In a covered box will
aid greatly In reViving and drying off
the young lambs. A little warm milk
should also be given to supply inter
| nal heat.
When the lamb Is warm and re-
| Vived it can be put back with its
mother, and the chances are 1t will
not need any further attention. The
eve should be allowed to remain in
her small pen until the lambs are
strong enough to follow her about.
BY the time the lambs are ten days
or two weeks old they begin craving
solid food and will be found nibbling
bits of hay. and then grain should be
provided for them. This can be easily
arranged by making a slat hurdle or
panel with the Stats five or six inches
apart, The size Of such pen will de-
pend entirely upon the number Ol
lambs, but should be large enough tc
accommodate them comfortably. With
In this enclosure shallow trough
should be provided. In which there
should always be found little corr
chop. bran and Oil.meaL