THE FLOCK IN AUGUST.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 182, 1 August 1923, Page 11

THE FLOCK IN AUGUST.

CARE OF EARLY LAMBS. Already early lambs are putting in their appearance, though the general lambing will not be in full swing until next month. The lambs that are already dropped, or those that will be born this month, are usually confined to flocks that were mated with a view to getting lambe to catch the early market. If not already done, mothering pens should be erected, the nature of which should be such as to suit the varied conditions. A careful survey should be taken of the fields that are to be used for lambing. The best spots should be picked out in which to place the mothering pens, which ehould be erected along the most sheltered parts of the field. In large fields where there are correspondingly large flocks to handle, many such pens may be required.

Every season some farmers complain about the ewes leaving their lambs, especially the doubles. This, of course, is usually due to shortage of feed or to the ewes having been badly wintered, in which case the dam has not a sufficient milk flow to support both lambs, with the result that she will usually walk off with the lamb which is able to crawl. Some breeds of sheep, namely merinos and half-breds, are most addicted to this fault. The long-wooUed breeds and some of the Down are most docile and mother their lambs better. The .practice of marking the twin lambs is well worth adopting, as this enables the shepherd in charge to assist in pairing them up again should they get separated! The method to adopt is as follows:—Take a piece of raddle (blue for preference, as it shows up best), mark the first set of twins on the head; No. 2 on the near jaw;. No. 3 on the off jaw; Xo. 4 on the near side neck; Xo. 5 on the off neck; No. 6 on the near shoulder; No. 7 on the off shoulder; No. 8 on the withers; No. 9 on the back; -No. 10 on rump; No. 11 on near hip; No. 12 on off hip; No.' 13 on near hind leg; and No. 14 on off hind leg and so on. This done, change the colour of r marking ajnd proceed as- before. Thie may .seem unnecessary or difficult work, but once adopted the sheepman will seldom abandon it for the old method of letting them go unmarked.

: Should-rough weather set in during lambing the sheep in the rain, in endeavouring to gain nhelter' for. herself and offspring, ie apt to" leave one of a pair behind, and unless they are marked it is practically useless for the shepherd to attempt to assist in mothering them up. Again, when shifting a mob from one field to another, as is sometimes necessary even when the lambs are very young, the same thing happens. Wiieu the sheep are turned on to a fresh field, they usually bolt off as if on an exploration expedition, with the result that many of the lambs, especially the twins are left behind.

There is no need to mark the ewes to correspond with the marking on the lambs; a ewe will always stick to one lamb. If the field is large and the weather at all rough, the loss may be considerable, but with the aid of the markings, the shepherd, by exercising a little patience and judgment, can pair off the twin lambs and so avoid undue loss.

The marking ehould be' done when first dropped. The pairs are easily caught and marked when quite young, with the aid of a crooked' stick. Another advantage in marking is that if a ewe has had the misfortune to lose her lamb, one of the marked ewes, that is, one of a pair, can be caught and put on to the ewe that has lost hers. If the shepherd is fortunate enough to find the deadlamb, this should be skinned and the skin put on to the lamb that is to be put to the foster mother. When this is done the. lamb and the foster mother ehould be put into a small pen, until one is quite sure that the lamb is properly mothered, which, in the majority of cases, if care is taken, will be immediately. The false skin can then be taken off and the two turned out with the rest of the mob.

' There are other methods of putting a strange lamb on to a ewe, such as rubbing the sheep's nose with -turpentine, essence of aniseed, or other strongsmelling liquid: The object of this Is so that the ewe cannot distinguish the lamb from her own. But, according to the writer's experience the first method is by far the better, as it is more cure. The latter should only be adopted when the dead lamb cannot be found. It often happens that a young, vigorous ewe will give birth to a dead lamb, or, for some reason not known, will lose her lamb after it is a few days old. It would be the height of folly to allow sach a ewe to go idle for. the want of putting a lamb on to her, while other ewes are struggling to rear twins. The foster mother will rear the lamb better than its own mother could possibly do while rearing two. Moreover, ewes that lose their lambs.and are allowed to go, will in all probability be culled the following autumn and fattened for the butcher. Good ewes are often wasted in thie way, whereas if-a little trouble were taken at lambing time this to a very great extent will be avoided.

. When feeding off green crops with ewes and lambs the crop ehould be fenced off into 'breaks, so that the lambs will get a frequent change of feed! The feed will be less trampled by the stock, therefore more feeding value will be got from it. If this plan is adopted care should be taken,not to allow the crop to get too-far advanced, or the lambs will not take to it so well, and the ewes will gradually go off-in milk and lay on flesh, to the. detriment of the lambs. When large flocks of ewes are kept it is a good plan to separate the lambed ewes from the unlambed ewes. This is easily done providing it is done every few days, as in'this case the lambs are more easily cut' off from the as they keep closer to their mothers*