THE LAMBING SEASON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19415, 25 August 1926, Page 17

THE LAMBING SEASON.

FEEDING THE EWE FLOCKS. PASTURES AND SHELTER. SEASONABLE HINTS. BY W.S. lambing approaches, ewes that have been on turnips or on old pasture should, if possible, have a run off on to green feed. Apart from the actual lambing the most critical period with pregnant ewes is about three or four weeks prior to lambing. At this stage thoy often take a sick turn from which they seldom wholly recover. The chief cause of this trouble is want of a change or lack of nourishment. Many farmers think that bocause the pasture has plenty of rough feed on it sheep do not need anything better for winter feed. But while such feed may suffice for their wants in the early part of the winter and when the ewes are not very far advanced in pregnancy, they want something better if a successful lambing is to be obtained. The feed in the pasture at this season has generally become frosted, as in the milder districts,has at least become tasteless and contains very little feeding value, and is thus most unsuitable for ewes in lamb, especially for a few weeks previous to lambing. Such feed is very deceiving, as there is much less nutriment in it than might be supposed. It is a frequent cause of ewes going wrong in the liver and alimentary canal when- 1 they are grazed on it without the addition of roots or some succulent food. Again the same trouble occurs when ewes are kept continually on turnips, especially if the roots are' on the wane or pithy as the soft varieties are apt to become at this season. When there is a plentiful supply of hay, or good oat straw, and this is fed liberally to the ewes the sickness is less likely to occur. In any case," however, if there is green feed available, the ewes will be all the better for a run on to it occasionally. Ewes and Green Fodder. It is not necessary to keep them on the feed, nor even to give them long spells on it. If there is a limited quantity or it is intended to be kept for the ewes after lambing even one hour feeding on it every alternate day will work wonders in the way of keeping the ewes healthy. This will not use up the green feed very quickly and it will pay handsomely, for doing. As already stated, it is unnecessary _to keep pregnant ewes continually on rich green feed, nor is it advisable, even if there is a plentiful supply of such feed. All that is needed is to Keep ewes in a healthy condition, not too fat, as there is less likelihood of mortality among them when in moderate condition than among tl?oso overloaded with flesh, and vice versa.

After lambing, a more liberal allowance of green feed should be given and a good area should be reserved tor that period. . Where largo flocks are kept, and when the eWes are to lamb on the pastures and are afterwards to be put on to green oats, rye, or barley, or even on a good clover field, if one has been reserved for the purpose, it is good practice to fence a few small, breaks off along the shelter side of the field. Mothering pens can be placed in these enclosures, -where tho ewes can . be attended to as often as required. "For the former, a few coils of wire-netting is most useful. These can be erected beforehand, as a little preparation will greatly facilitate the shepherd's work during the lambing, for st this time the ewes require his undivided attention. Saving the Lambs.

It is a well-known fact that many lambs are lost fov want of a little dxtra attention just after they are dropped. Few coils of netting will fence off about half an acre, providing of course, the corner of the field is a right angle. The best way to start is to first run four coils of netting along the shelter fence 50 yards out, then subdivide this off into four breaks. In No. 1 break the mothering pens should be erected. As soon as tha ewe and lamb show signs of mothering-' up they can be turned out in to No. 1 plot where they will be most often seen by the shepherd. These breaks will hold quite a number of ewes and their lambs. First day, or as soon as they are all mothered, they can be shifted a plot forward, and so 'on until they can be finally liberated and allowed to take their chance along with tho mam flock.

These small breaks are not only useful for mothering-dp ewes with, their lambs, or ewes that are inclined to leavei their lamb, but also for ringing another lamb on to her, other than her own, and are also useful to run a ewe into that shows signs of difficulty in giving birth, in which case the shepherds assistance may be required. But though it is not advisable to render assistance unless the case is a difficult one, it nevertheless gives the shepherd a better chance to watch her movements and act accordingly. The old method of leaving the lambed with the unlambed ewes is npw seldom practised and then only by those who have not yet learned the value of separating them, or'by those whose circumstances do not permit them .to do so. The chiff advantages of separating them are, firstly, the lambed ewes are shifted out of the shepherds way, so that he can pay more attention to thf> unlambed and the newly-dropped lambs, secondly, there will be less likelihood of the lambs getting unmothered, and, thirdly, the first lambed ewes will be ready for tailing before the rest of the flock has finished lambing. This is _ important, as it is a mistake to leave the lambs too long before tailing, which is unavoidable under the old method, viz., leaving the tailing until the majority of t«he lambs aro f dropped. Method o! Separating Ewes. The separating of the lambed from the unlambed ewes is a simple job, provided one goes about it in the right way. Tlio best-known method is to commence at one end of the field, and drive them gently along; a handy hack and a quiet dog will be of great assistance. As the mob is driven along, the lambed ewes will gradually fall behind. As they do so the man on the hack can cut in between any ewes and lambs that are lagging behind. Once you get between them and the mob they will usually make off in the opposite direction. This should be continued until the other end of the field is reached, when it will be found that the lambed and the unlambed will be in a separate mob. It is usual then to shift the unlambed into another field, when the same thing can be repeated in a few days' time. By this time the lambed ewes that were left behind can, if necessary, be shifted on to better feed, if any is available. I would again like to stress the importance of marking twin lambs, as it will be found invaluable, when shifting a mob of ewes and lambs. When dealing with the pure-bred flock, or if it is desired that the ewe lambs from any particular mob, halfbred or crossbred, should be kept over for breeding purposes, it is a good plan to mark the doubles with a more permanent mark. This can be done by taking a small bottle of liquid marking, such as branding acid, or lampblack and boiled oil mixed into a thin paste, the same as is sometimes used for branding sheep. Tjombs that aro marked with this material will retain the mark until weaning time, when, if necessary, they can be separated from the others and keut in a separate mob, and as, like begets alike, if the future breeding ewes are selected as much *s possible from among the twin lambs, this will have a tendency to make the Bock more prolific.