Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-09-30

Drop the knife into the dislnfectant
after, using it.
Hold the lamb in a position shown
in illustration.
Examine the lamb to see II both
testicles are down. If not the OPP
Grafton should be postponed.
Rinse off the scrotum with the
disinfectant. Cut off about one-third
of the scrotum so it will drain well.
Grasp the remaining part Of the
scrotum close up to the body and
force the testicles into view. Sever
the inner membrane with a light,
quick stroke of sharp knife. Force
the membrane back free from the
cord and then scrape the cord with
the knife until it breaks. Scraping
prevents great loss of blood.
Disinfect the wound thoroughly.
The lamb will lie down immedi-
'ately on being released SO it is i'm
portant that it be put in a clean
place. If turned out on a small pas
ture chance for infection will be re-
duced to q minimum.
Watch the lambs for three or
four days. If any pus forms, open
the wound so as to permit good
drainage.
Though large ranches dock and
castrate the lambs at the same time,
because Of the trouble Of sorting out
the rams and ewes, it is not advis-
able for the small flock owner to do
this, because Of the added shock to
the lamb. 1t is the better plan to
castrate the ram lambs about a week
after all Of them have been locked.
The lambs should be watched
n fo hot H.,
thrifty condition. If they are not
doing as well as they should, the
case should be determined at once
and the remedy applied without de-
lay.
When the lambs begin nibbling the
feed it is time to build a creep to
which the lambs will have access
at all times. A small amount of mix
ture Of two parts oats, two parts
corn and one part bran should be fed
twice daily. Good, bright alfalfa or
other leguminous hay should be kept
before the lambs until the pasture
becomes luxuriant. The object of
FEEDING in the creeps is to make
them weigh the maximum at the
earliest time while the milk fat is
still on them.
Fed in this way a good grade lamb
Of one OF the Down breeds should
weigh 60 pounds at three months of
age and should command the top
price in this condition. Feed given
to the lamb at this age is sold at
it's highest price so do not be sparing
Of the feed when producing early
market lambs. Spring lambs must
be fat.
r. o.5o~ - na;eo - oorJood - +Loeo
prime lambs it is necessary for a
community or even a county to
adopt a single breed and use only
the best individual rams of that
breed. Everyone should have their
uary, as nearly as possible. 1t
should be kept in mind that docking
and castrating are imperative to get
the top market price, and that the
carlot must be uniform. Such united
action can not be secured without a
good live sheep growers organiZa-
ton in that community, through
which to reach agreements and
through which to market the lambs.
The lambs that remain unsold by
June should be weaned by moving
the ewes to another field The
lambs will be less restless in familiar
quarters and the milk flow of the
ewes will be less on dry feed. Watch
the ewes udder very carefully.
A good uniform flock of sheep can
be built up only by carefully select
ing and culling the flock one a year.
The shepherd that has kept close
watch on the flock can tell which
ewes are poor mothers, which are
non-producers and which consistent
ly drop lambs late each year and
those which are light shearers. Ewes
with weak backs and weak pasterns
should also be included. All these
should be marked and discarded be-
fore the next breeding season. It is
generally a good plan to sell all the
ewes over 5 years of age unless they
are exceptional producers.
The lambs from the best ewes
should be retained in the flock to
take the place of the discarded ewes.
Shearing time in Georgia is dur
ing the month of April. It should be
done as soon as the weather is set
tied and before the sheep suffer
from heat.
Many sheep growers expect the
WOOL to pay for the keep Of the flock,
and the lambs to make the profit.
10 do this it is necessary that some
little attention be given towards put.
ting the wool into the best market
able shape and that the shearing be
done in as quick and efficient a man
ner as possible.
Feed and care Of the flock have
considerable to do with making the
best quality of wool. An under
nourished, unthrifty sheep will pro-
duce tender, broken and short
fibred wool So it behooves the grow
er to feed his flock we'll. Chaff and
cookie burs mixed in with wool, de-
tract from the sale price. These
can be eliminated by proper flock
mana cement.
more sheep to get hand-poWer
and the extra wool clipped will pay
for the added cost Of the machine.
But where hand shears are used,
considerable time can be saved by
the proper handling of the sheep be-
ing sheared.
Set the sheep up on the rump by
passing the right hand under the
belly and grasping the left hind leg;
IlIC up WIN the lett mana under the
neck at the same time. A sheep can
be managed easily if it is tilted back
against TIE knees so that the feet
cannot touch the ground. The Sc.
ries Of photographs on the opposite
page will show the procedure in
shearing and the position of the
sheep and the machine in each case.
The following points should be
kept in mind while shearing:
1. Shear on a clean board or can.
vas surface so as to avoid getting
trash mixed with the wool.
2. Turn the sheep from left tc
right SO as to keep the shorn wool
in one piece in front of the shearer,
8. Never grasp sheep by the foot.