Part 1

Chapter 14,286 wordsPublic domain

Transcriber's note:

Changes to the text and known problems are listed at the end of the book. Text bracketed by underscores was in italics in the original book, i. e. _words in italics_. Words in the text (not the titles or cover page) which are ALL CAPITALS were small capitals in the original book.

Total Per Cent Lambing Rules

_Total Per Cent Lambing Rules_

_To Those Lambing Ewes_:

It is quite impossible to give rules that will cover each day all your environs, as shelter, feed and water, help, etc. However, under ordinary circumstances, the following will prove successful:

These pages being written for the one who would try, it is the object and desire of the writer to explain to the inexperienced hand, in a plain manner, the work of lambing sheep, especially under range conditions. Having made a study of the work for years, we have seen the utter impossibility of verbally explaining the many necessary details to the "new men" each year. We admit lambing ewes in large numbers successfully is somewhat of a fine art, still common sense, patience and endurance will allow any one adapted to the care of live stock--which means a person who appreciates the worth and meaning of life in any form--to lamb sheep. Common sense will permit any one to readily have at least some idea of the physical endurance, both as to temperature and nutrition, of the animal in his care. The patience which enables you to endure the inclemency of any surrounding for their welfare, is also necessary, for it, too, prevents that hostile, or we might say hideous mood of mind which causes so many people to abuse live stock when it is absolutely uncalled for.

It should be self-evident to the ordinary person that life in its beginning is easily overcome by death; that nature has endowed man with a higher intellect that he may care for that life which in his esteem has sufficient worth to justify that care. A providing nature has endowed the sheep with many desires and inclinations, which, while quite clear to the naturalist, to the casual observer and shepherd often appear very contrary. That the sheep is the most contrary animal, other than the hog, is an assertion which often comes from a lack of knowledge of its nature.

True, when unintelligently selected surroundings compel you to howl, whistle, and dog it out of its natural contentment, it often becomes contrary, but this mood is forced upon it by its environs, of which the barking dog and the unintelligent and noisy shepherd are generally the greatest fault.

Allow sheep their natural contentment by leaving them to their own care whenever possible. They will then hold themselves to the herd and very seldom stray off. Tending sheep in this manner will permit them to show you their wants and necessities. Provide them when you can, for it pays the owner and always lightens your work.

Although sheep will soon become used to the whistling and holloing shepherd, together with the barking dog, apparently paying little attention to them, they do, nevertheless, fret, causing them to roughen and lose in flesh. We have seen sheep become so thin by such treatment that they were actually too weak to follow the herd longer. They will always do their best to stray away from such surroundings. Sheep know the intelligent shepherd never whistles, hollos, or rushes the dog at them unless it is absolutely necessary, and they very readily mind such a person.

Surely it is not the sheep that is at fault when the shepherd selects as their pasture, during a stormy day, a bleak flat or mesa, where the sheep in their discontent are compelled to run around seeking shelter or to maintain their warmth, vexing the herder, causing him to dog them severely.

BEGINNING.

Should you have plenty of pasture, put your dropping ewes upon the lambing ground 143 days after the rams were first with them. This gives them a little time to locate, their dropping time not being up until the 145th day. If lambing upon the open range, two or three good, live men to each 1,000 ewes will be necessary, while for shed lambing there should be four or five for that number of ewes. In each case the amount of help necessary depends upon the range and method of lambing. The men should have enough clothing and bedding to be out in all kinds of weather without chilling. Inform them that abusing the sheep by using the crook as a club, dogging, or otherwise, will not help you nor ease their work in the least. Truly, the man worth while in a lambing camp is "the man who can smile when everything goes dead wrong"--the man who sees many things and can find the time, the way, and the will, to better them.

Do not bed dropping ewes upon steep hillsides, where they will cast themselves during or before lambing. It may often become necessary to bed small bunches out by themselves; this gives the coyote a great chance to do his work. To keep him and other predatory animals away during the night, it is well to have firecrackers, fuse, or powder, scare-crows and lanterns on hand. To catch and chain a live coyote out upon the lambing ground has been the most effective scare-crow the writer has ever used to keep coyotes from the lambing range. As a disinfectant for bites, cuts, sores and maggots, have carbolic acid, turpentine, or some good creosote sheep dip. Marking materials are also very handy at times to mark certain ewes and lambs. The remedies given here for the treatment of ailments generally found at lambing time are not those found at a drug store twenty miles away, but, rather, those camp necessities which are most always at hand. They have proven their merit and can be relied upon.

THE DROP BAND.

Put the best man you have with your dropping ewes. He should have a cool temper, good feet, and the will to use them. Each day he should have a sheep crook and some quarter-inch rope with him. The sheep should have salt or salt feed enough to be contented. Water them once a day during dry weather; on rainy days they will feed better when not given water. In bunch lambing, where the new-born lambs are with the dropping ewes all the time, 700 ewes are enough to the band, while if you lamb by the dropping system, where you part the new-born lambs and their mothers from the dropping ewes several times each 24 hours, you may have up to 4,000 ewes in the drop band. This is not advisable where your range is closed in or short on feed or water. Upon such a range 1,500 ewes are enough to the band. Have them bedded in the warmest places at night. In nice weather let them leave the bed ground as early as possible, while in bad weather--if you have them on a good bed ground--let them remain as long as they wish. Never hold them on the bed ground in the morning by rushing them back with a dog when they are ready to leave. By so mixing the ewes you will "bum" lambs dropped during the night. On bad days put them in the warmest places, behind hills, in high brush, or any other good shelter you may have near at hand, which will keep the new-born lambs out of the wind. During warm and pleasant days let them out well in the morning hours, then hold them up a few hours on good feed, turning them toward camp and water early in the afternoon, so that the lambs dropped in the evening hours will be near camp, where they will not have to be moved.

Should your range allow you to change the bed ground each night, while the lambs are coming fast, it is best to do so. When the range is so situated that you cannot move camp each day, compelling you to move the ewes with lambs off the bed ground, so the dropping ewes may bed in the same place again, try not to move them until about the time the droppers come in around camp in the evening, say about 4 p. m. Do not move them farther than is necessary to keep them from mixing with the drop band during the night. Before the ewes bed down for the night, catch all ewes that appear sick and have not been on feed or wish to be alone, not caring to follow the herd longer. Such ewes likely have a dead lamb in them. Watch for such ewes during the day and take the lamb from them before blood poison kills the ewe. Safeguard yourself and the ewe, if convenient, by disinfecting your hands before and after doing this.

WORKING THE BED GROUND.

This seems to be a critical time for many shepherds. Some persons become greatly provoked trying to hold the new-born lambs and their mothers apart from the dropping ewes, as the latter leave the bed ground in the morning. Shepherds who rush among the ewes and lambs, in order to move the dropping ewes off the bed ground in the morning, will make themselves much work, but will never bring out a good per cent of lambs, as ewes having dropped their lambs during the night are always somewhat uneasy and excited when the herd leaves in the morning. It is indeed the height of folly to rush among them, causing them to run away from their new-born lambs in their excitement. Allow the dropping ewes to leave at their will; do not drive them off; all ewes that have not dropped will follow the herd if you will only give them time. Should a few ewes take their lambs and try to follow the herd, let them go a few hundred yards before you try to cut them back. Should there be one or two granny ewes trying to steal lambs, leave them, rather than rush among the others. Wait a few hours until the lambs become dried and the ewes overcome their excitement, before working the bed ground.

Allow all ewes that have dead lambs in them, or those unable to drop their lambs, to follow the dropping ewes off the bed ground; then hold up the herd, catch the ewes and pull the lambs from them. At this time, also, catch all ewes that may have left their lambs on the bed ground and turn them back, so they may pick them up. Look over the bed ground during the day for big-teat ewes, weak and "bummed" lambs. Should you have any "bum" lambs, mother them on ewes that have had dead lambs. It is probable that the ewes you pulled the dead lambs from would like to mother the "bums."

Keep ALL dogs away while working bed grounds.

GATHERING THE DROP.

Do not gather new-born lambs during snow or rain storms when they are in good shelter. It is always best, where possible, to leave the new-born lambs where they drop the first 12 to 24 hours. This can be done--where you have them in good enough shelter for the night--by rounding up the outside of the day's drop just a little, then place a tepee with a lantern in it in the center of the bunch, a few firecrackers, with here and there a scarecrow around the outer sides, or have a man sleep near them to keep off coyotes. The ewes will generally bunch themselves by moving up around the tepee during the night. If they must be moved to shelter, or for other reasons, let the men start to move the oldest of the day's drop of lambs as soon as the droppers start back toward camp or water in the afternoon, always moving the oldest to the youngest when convenient to do so. Do not allow anyone to move lambs when wet or too young, unless it is necessary to put them into shelter. In that case, try to move them before the storm, rather than after they become wet. New-born lambs still wet, or having become wet by storm, rubbing together, sometimes change their scent, so that quite a number of their mothers become suspicious of them and will not allow them to suck until they become dried, before which time they may die. We have also on several occasions seen ewes become skeptical of their lamb after having cleaned it, simply because the lamb had come in contact with the cleanings of other ewes.

When it is necessary to move new-born lambs, move them slowly and gently to the nearest good shelter. In no case is it advisable to carry lambs around in gunny-sack-full lots. By so doing you are likely to "bum" more lambs than you save. Tie or pen all ewes that do not own their lambs until they do own them. Be sure you are putting THEIR lambs with them. When you have placed the day's drop in good shelter, when you are most sure they are well protected from predatory animals, let them remain quiet for the night. The next morning have someone move them to water. Mix them, when you have to, according to the "table" of these rules. Do not rush the bunches together; get them close to one another, then let them mix themselves. Watch the badger holes. Lambs generally crawl into holes during the cool of night, in hot, sunny days, and during cold, rainy weather.

MIXING TO MAKE UP HERDS.

It is always best to have your two-year-old ewes mixed with the older ewes during their first lambing. However, this should be given consideration in the mixing of the young lambs, of which the following table will give you a very good idea. Do not drop more at any one place than the table allows. Should the drop be heavier than this during the night hours, cut the drop band in two for a few days. In the following table we count ewes only, and it is always best for your per cent to have less if it is convenient to keep them apart longer:

_The Table._

Lambs, Mixed twos Old ewes hours old and older ewes straight

1 to 24 120 or less 150 or less 24 to 48 200 or less 250 or less 3 days or more 350 or less 450 or less

From this time on they should be left until they are the following age, when they can be mixed as follows: As ewes know their lambs by scent only during the first four to six days, it should be readily understood that it might become impossible for the ewe to find her lamb should you bunch them sooner than these tables allow, making you many worthless lambs.

Lambs 4 to 6 days old (youngest must be 4 days old), 650 to the band.

Lambs 8 to 12 days old (youngest must be 8 days old), 1,300 to the band.

The above for mixed twos and older ewes. When the herds are made up entirely of ewes past two years old use the following table:

Lambs 4 to 6 days old (youngest must be 4 days old), 750 to the band.

Lambs 8 to 12 days old (youngest must be 8 days old), 1,500 to the band.

These tables should be considered well any time you do any mixing to make up herds. Where you have good feed and water, they will prove very successful. However, as ewes can and will suckle their lambs more readily while in small bands, the development of the lamb will be much more rapid where you are not compelled to bunch them too soon. Let these lamb bunches remain quiet as much as you possibly can. If your feed is poor around the water and the ewes have to leave their lambs to find feed, do not mix so soon nor so many. It may be advisable to move the droppers along a little faster, and by so doing you will leave more feed behind for the ewes with lambs.

DOCKING OR TRIMMING LAMBS.

Lambs should be docked when from six to twelve days old, when convenient in bands of not more than 700. For several reasons it is best to trim them on a cool day before they move around much in the morning. Avoid trimming in the heat of the day. Docking lambs in old corrals is dangerous, because it is unsanitary--many lambs are likely to die if left standing in old corrals after being cut at docking time. Turn each lamb over the fence and out to pasture as you dock it and you will avoid this trouble. When you can so arrange, it is best to leave these trimmed bunches where they are the balance of the day. At least do not overheat them by rushing them around, either before or after trimming. Let them rest a while.

We have used a knife in tailing lambs for years, but find they become a few pounds heavier during the summer season when seared, so advise the use of searing tongs to do the tailing. Keep these tongs red hot, so they will sear and stop all blood. To sear lambs, the docking corral is arranged the same as when you dock with the knife. You simply have an extra man, who places a stove or builds a fire to the right of the person doing the ear-marking and castrating. In this fire or stove the tongs are kept hot, and as the party doing the trimming passes the lamb to the right--the catcher still holding it--along the cutting board, this extra man has the tongs ready to part the tails. One heating of the tongs will sear and part the tails of four or five lambs. You should, however, have at least two or three pairs of these tongs. They are sold at Chicago.

If, after a few days, two or three of your largest lambs become sick, bleed them a little by cutting them under the tail stub. Use a solution of 100 parts water to one part creosote sheep dip, or the same solution of carbolic acid, as a wash to swab wether lambs. This will disinfect all cuts and keep flies from them. You will also save many lambs that have been snagged, dog or coyote bitten, by disinfecting them at once, or within a few hours, with either of these solutions. In castrating young lambs, cut the scrotum or sack off about one-half inch from end, then pinch tight above the testicles and draw them. Part the tails at about the lower end of skin on inside of tail. At this time herd-mark each full band of ewes and their lambs distinctly with a separate mark, so they can be parted in case they mix with another band during the summer season.

PULLING LAMBS--EVERSION OF WOMB.

In pulling lambs from ewes, try to attend to such ewes before the lamb is dead. Get the legs out first; pull slowly and be careful not to jerk--you may pull the lamb bed out of the ewe if you do. Should you do this, or should you find a ewe with her womb cast, it can be replaced by raising her hind parts and slowly forcing the womb back, inserting the parts until the whole womb is turned in its proper shape and is in its natural position. Tie her left hind foot to a bush, or something, allowing her six to eight feet of rope; leave her for an hour, and her pulling will keep the parts in place until they become set. Where the parts have become dirty, they should be brushed clean with a clean brush or rag. Do not wash with water. Inject or insert with a soft rag a few drops of a 10 per cent solution of carbolic acid. When the lamb is in his natural position he will arrive with his head and front feet first, giving the ewe little trouble, unless the shoulder or withers are abnormally large. When the head is swollen, or one foot is still back, it is certain the ewe needs assistance at once. Nearly all lambs coming with their hind legs or tail first must be pulled; do this as soon as you notice it. Never neglect ewes laboring more than one hour. If they have not had the lamb in this time, it is absolutely necessary to take the lamb from them or it will be dead.

TWINS: THEIR CARE--DEAD LAMBS.

When a ewe has twins and is not willing or able to care for them both, try to find a ewe with a dead lamb; take the hide off the dead lamb by case skinning, cutting the hind legs off at the second joint from the foot, then open the skin between the hind legs, pull what is left of the legs up through this opening, then pull the hide back over the body. Cut off the front legs the same way, then pull the hide down over the neck to the head; cut it off there. This will cover the live lamb all except the head and opening you made in taking off the hide. Over these exposed parts rub the entrails of the skinned lamb. Do not make the lamb red with blood, for the ewe may scare from it. Always put the hide on the smallest of the twins, leaving the best one with its own mother. The hide should be left on no longer than is necessary to make the ewe own the lamb, which is generally about 24 hours. In real warm weather, when flies give trouble, it may prove best not to bother with the hide method, but simply cut the entrails out of the dead lamb and rub them well all over the motherless lamb, so the ewe that had the dead lamb will take it from the scent. In most cases where the ewe has not had the opportunity of seeing or smelling her own lamb at birth, she will accept any NEWLY born lamb the same as she would her own without using either of the above methods. Nearly all ewes with much milk will take to such lambs quickly, while those with little milk are not easily "fooled." By either of the above methods it is best to keep the ewe tied or penned until you are sure she does own the strange lamb. Experienced help will generally know by the action of the ewe just when to turn her loose with her adopted lamb. Still, unless she has good feed and water while so tied or penned, she will dry up in a few days, when it becomes impossible for her to mother the "bum." Extra good mothers dropping their lambs near others at times become over-anxious and claim lambs belonging to other ewes, making it look like "twins or better." Do not be fooled, but single such ewes out with their lamb and put her stolen lamb or lambs with their right mothers. GET THE RIGHT MOTHERS. Keep your twinned ewes on good feed and water, also by themselves, if you expect them to raise you two good lambs. At least try not to put them in large bunches until they are at least 10 or 12 days old.

DEFORMED AND ALKALIED LAMBS.

Most deformed lambs, born with twisted legs, can be cured quickly by tying the deformed parts as near as possible in their natural position for a day or two. Lambs born with their eyelids too large may be cured by taking a pair of scissors or a sharp pocket knife and cutting a small slice or slit horizontally out of the abnormal eyelid, when they will shrink nearly to their normal size, allowing the lamb to open its eyes.

Black alkali is very deadly to sheep, and especially to young lambs. Its effects seem to be so sudden that there is little chance for a cure. Keep the young lambs away from all alkali beds and especially from black alkali holes during wet weather.

White alkali is not so fatal, yet many good shepherds lose lambs by allowing them to nibble around alkali beds. Should you have some of these alkalied lambs or sheep, treat them at once by giving the lambs one-quarter cupful of vinegar, followed in one hour with three tablespoonsful of raw linseed oil. Sheep should be given one cup of vinegar and one-quarter cup linseed oil. Most sheep sick from this ailment will have a white alkali substance adhering to their nostrils.

Where a lamb has no movement of the bowels, give one tablespoonful of molasses and raw linseed oil, mixed. When troubled with too much bowel movement, give one tablespoonful ginger and flour, mixed, once each day in both cases.

LARGE AND SPOILED UDDERS.

See that all lambs too weak to get up are suckled. That all ewes with large udders are caught and milked out. Catch them without rushing them into a bunch of ewes and young lambs. If you can't, let them go until you can--watch for this opportunity. Tie or pen them up until the udder becomes normal and the lamb can get the teat without help. Many ewes having spoiled udders will come to good milk in a few days, if milked out well two or three times daily.