,transcriber's note3 ,changes to the text and known problems are listed at the end of the book4 ,text bracketed by underscores was in italics in the original book1 i4 e4 words in italics4 ,words in the text 7not the titles or cover page7 which are ,,all ,,capitals were small capitals in the original book4 ,total ,per ,cent ,lambing ,rules ,illustration ,,copyright #aiae ,,by ,,thomas ,,boylan ,total ,per ,cent ,lambing ,rules ,copyright #aiae by ,thomas ,boylan ,to ,those ,lambing ,ewes3 ,it is quite impossible to give rules that will cover each day all your environs1 as shelter1 feed and water1 help1 etc4 ,however1 under ordinary circumstances1 the following will prove successful3 ,these pages being written for the one who would try1 it is the object and desire of the writer to explain to the inexperienced hand1 in a plain manner1 the work of lambing sheep1 especially under range conditions4 ,having made a study of the work for years1 we have seen the utter impossibility of verbally explaining the many necessary details to the new men each year4 ,we admit lambing ewes in large numbers successfully is somewhat of a fine art1 still common sense1 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 sheep4 ,common sense will permit any one to readily have at least some idea of the physical endurance1 both as to temperature and nutrition1 of the animal in his care4 ,the patience which enables you to endure the inclemency of any surrounding for their welfare1 is also necessary1 for it1 too1 prevents that hostile1 or we might say hideous mood of mind which causes so many people to abuse live stock when it is absolutely uncalled for4 ,it should be self-evident to the ordinary person that life in its beginning is easily overcome by death2 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 care4 ,a providing nature has endowed the sheep with many desires and inclinations1 which1 while quite clear to the naturalist1 to the casual observer and shepherd often appear very contrary4 ,that the sheep is the most contrary animal1 other than the hog1 is an assertion which often comes from a lack of knowledge of its nature4 ,true1 when unintelligently selected surroundings compel you to howl1 whistle1 and dog it out of its natural contentment1 it often becomes contrary1 but this mood is forced upon it by its environs1 of which the barking dog and the unintelligent and noisy shepherd are generally the greatest fault4 ,allow sheep their natural contentment by leaving them to their own care whenever possible4 ,they will then hold themselves to the herd and very seldom stray off4 ,tending sheep in this manner will permit them to show you their wants and necessities4 ,provide them when you can1 for it pays the owner and always lightens your work4 ,although sheep will soon become used to the whistling and holloing shepherd1 together with the barking dog1 apparently paying little attention to them1 they do1 nevertheless1 fret1 causing them to roughen and lose in flesh4 ,we have seen sheep become so thin by such treatment that they were actually too weak to follow the herd longer4 ,they will always do their best to stray away from such surroundings4 ,sheep know the intelligent shepherd never whistles1 hollos1 or rushes the dog at them unless it is absolutely necessary1 and they very readily mind such a person4 ,surely it is not the sheep that is at fault when the shepherd selects as their pasture1 during a stormy day1 a bleak flat or mesa1 where the sheep in their discontent are compelled to run around seeking shelter or to maintain their warmth1 vexing the herder1 causing him to dog them severely4 ,,beginning4 ,should you have plenty of pasture1 put your dropping ewes upon the lambing ground #adc days after the rams were first with them4 ,this gives them a little time to locate1 their dropping time not being up until the #adeth day4 ,if lambing upon the open range1 two or three good1 live men to each #a1jjj ewes will be necessary1 while for shed lambing there should be four or five for that number of ewes4 ,in each case the amount of help necessary depends upon the range and method of lambing4 ,the men should have enough clothing and bedding to be out in all kinds of weather without chilling4 ,inform them that abusing the sheep by using the crook as a club1 dogging1 or otherwise1 will not help you nor ease their work in the least4 ,truly1 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 time1 the way1 and the will1 to better them4 ,do not bed dropping ewes upon steep hillsides1 where they will cast themselves during or before lambing4 ,it may often become necessary to bed small bunches out by themselves2 this gives the coyote a great chance to do his work4 ,to keep him and other predatory animals away during the night1 it is well to have firecrackers1 fuse1 or powder1 scare-crows and lanterns on hand4 ,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 range4 ,as a disinfectant for bites1 cuts1 sores and maggots1 have carbolic acid1 turpentine1 or some good creosote sheep dip4 ,marking materials are also very handy at times to mark certain ewes and lambs4 ,the remedies given here for the treatment of ailments generally found at lambing time are not those found at a drug store twenty miles away1 but1 rather1 those camp necessities which are most always at hand4 ,they have proven their merit and can be relied upon4 ,,the ,,drop ,,band4 ,put the best man you have with your dropping ewes4 ,he should have a cool temper1 good feet1 and the will to use them4 ,each day he should have a sheep crook and some quarter-inch rope with him4 ,the sheep should have salt or salt feed enough to be contented4 ,water them once a day during dry weather2 on rainy days they will feed better when not given water4 ,in bunch lambing1 where the new-born lambs are with the dropping ewes all the time1 #gjj ewes are enough to the band1 while if you lamb by the dropping system1 where you part the new-born lambs and their mothers from the dropping ewes several times each #bd hours1 you may have up to #d1jjj ewes in the drop band4 ,this is not advisable where your range is closed in or short on feed or water4 ,upon such a range #a1ejj ewes are enough to the band4 ,have them bedded in the warmest places at night4 ,in nice weather let them leave the bed ground as early as possible1 while in bad weather--if you have them on a good bed ground--let them remain as long as they wish4 ,never hold them on the bed ground in the morning by rushing them back with a dog when they are ready to leave4 ,by so mixing the ewes you will bum lambs dropped during the night4 ,on bad days put them in the warmest places1 behind hills1 in high brush1 or any other good shelter you may have near at hand1 which will keep the new-born lambs out of the wind4 ,during warm and pleasant days let them out well in the morning hours1 then hold them up a few hours on good feed1 turning them toward camp and water early in the afternoon1 so that the lambs dropped in the evening hours will be near camp1 where they will not have to be moved4 ,should your range allow you to change the bed ground each night1 while the lambs are coming fast1 it is best to do so4 ,when the range is so situated that you cannot move camp each day1 compelling you to move the ewes with lambs off the bed ground1 so the dropping ewes may bed in the same place again1 try not to move them until about the time the droppers come in around camp in the evening1 say about #d p4 m4 ,do not move them farther than is necessary to keep them from mixing with the drop band during the night4 ,before the ewes bed down for the night1 catch all ewes that appear sick and have not been on feed or wish to be alone1 not caring to follow the herd longer4 ,such ewes likely have a dead lamb in them4 ,watch for such ewes during the day and take the lamb from them before blood poison kills the ewe4 ,safeguard yourself and the ewe1 if convenient1 by disinfecting your hands before and after doing this4 ,,working ,,the ,,bed ,,ground4 ,this seems to be a critical time for many shepherds4 ,some persons become greatly provoked trying to hold the new-born lambs and their mothers apart from the dropping ewes1 as the latter leave the bed ground in the morning4 ,shepherds who rush among the ewes and lambs1 in order to move the dropping ewes off the bed ground in the morning1 will make themselves much work1 but will never bring out a good per cent of lambs1 as ewes having dropped their lambs during the night are always somewhat uneasy and excited when the herd leaves in the morning4 ,it is indeed the height of folly to rush among them1 causing them to run away from their new-born lambs in their excitement4 ,allow the dropping ewes to leave at their will2 do not drive them off2 all ewes that have not dropped will follow the herd if you will only give them time4 ,should a few ewes take their lambs and try to follow the herd1 let them go a few hundred yards before you try to cut them back4 ,should there be one or two granny ewes trying to steal lambs1 leave them1 rather than rush among the others4 ,wait a few hours until the lambs become dried and the ewes overcome their excitement1 before working the bed ground4 ,allow all ewes that have dead lambs in them1 or those unable to drop their lambs1 to follow the dropping ewes off the bed ground2 then hold up the herd1 catch the ewes and pull the lambs from them4 ,at this time1 also1 catch all ewes that may have left their lambs on the bed ground and turn them back1 so they may pick them up4 ,look over the bed ground during the day for big-teat ewes1 weak and bummed lambs4 ,should you have any bum lambs1 mother them on ewes that have had dead lambs4 ,it is probable that the ewes you pulled the dead lambs from would like to mother the bums4 ,keep ,,all dogs away while working bed grounds4 ,,gathering ,,the ,,drop4 ,do not gather new-born lambs during snow or rain storms when they are in good shelter4 ,it is always best1 where possible1 to leave the new-born lambs where they drop the first #ab to #bd hours4 ,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 little1 then place a tepee with a lantern in it in the center of the bunch1 a few firecrackers1 with here and there a scarecrow around the outer sides1 or have a man sleep near them to keep off coyotes4 ,the ewes will generally bunch themselves by moving up around the tepee during the night4 ,if they must be moved to shelter1 or for other reasons1 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 afternoon1 always moving the oldest to the youngest when convenient to do so4 ,do not allow anyone to move lambs when wet or too young1 unless it is necessary to put them into shelter4 ,in that case1 try to move them before the storm1 rather than after they become wet4 ,new-born lambs still wet1 or having become wet by storm1 rubbing together1 sometimes change their scent1 so that quite a number of their mothers become suspicious of them and will not allow them to suck until they become dried1 before which time they may die4 ,we have also on several occasions seen ewes become skeptical of their lamb after having cleaned it1 simply because the lamb had come in contact with the cleanings of other ewes4 ,when it is necessary to move new-born lambs1 move them slowly and gently to the nearest good shelter4 ,in no case is it advisable to carry lambs around in gunny-sack-full lots4 ,by so doing you are likely to bum more lambs than you save4 ,tie or pen all ewes that do not own their lambs until they do own them4 ,be sure you are putting ,,their lambs with them4 ,when you have placed the day's drop in good shelter1 when you are most sure they are well protected from predatory animals1 let them remain quiet for the night4 ,the next morning have someone move them to water4 ,mix them1 when you have to1 according to the table of these rules4 ,do not rush the bunches together2 get them close to one another1 then let them mix themselves4 ,watch the badger holes4 ,lambs generally crawl into holes during the cool of night1 in hot1 sunny days1 and during cold1 rainy weather4 ,,mixing ,,to ,,make ,,up ,,herds4 ,it is always best to have your two-year-old ewes mixed with the older ewes during their first lambing4 ,however1 this should be given consideration in the mixing of the young lambs1 of which the following table will give you a very good idea4 ,do not drop more at any one place than the table allows4 ,should the drop be heavier than this during the night hours1 cut the drop band in two for a few days4 ,in the following table we count ewes only1 and it is always best for your per cent to have less if it is convenient to keep them apart longer3 ,the ,table4 ,lambs1 ,mixed twos ,old ewes hours old and older ewes straight #a to #bd #abj or less #aej or less #bd to #dh #bjj or less #bej or less #c days or more #cej or less #dej or less ,from this time on they should be left until they are the following age1 when they can be mixed as follows3 ,as ewes know their lambs by scent only during the first four to six days1 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 allow1 making you many worthless lambs4 ,lambs #d to #f days old 7youngest must be #d days old71 #fej to the band4 ,lambs #h to #ab days old 7youngest must be #h days old71 #a1cjj to the band4 ,the above for mixed twos and older ewes4 ,when the herds are made up entirely of ewes past two years old use the following table3 ,lambs #d to #f days old 7youngest must be #d days old71 #gej to the band4 ,lambs #h to #ab days old 7youngest must be #h days old71 #a1ejj to the band4 ,these tables should be considered well any time you do any mixing to make up herds4 ,where you have good feed and water1 they will prove very successful4 ,however1 as ewes can and will suckle their lambs more readily while in small bands1 the development of the lamb will be much more rapid where you are not compelled to bunch them too soon4 ,let these lamb bunches remain quiet as much as you possibly can4 ,if your feed is poor around the water and the ewes have to leave their lambs to find feed1 do not mix so soon nor so many4 ,it may be advisable to move the droppers along a little faster1 and by so doing you will leave more feed behind for the ewes with lambs4 ,,docking ,,or ,,trimming ,,lambs4 ,lambs should be docked when from six to twelve days old1 when convenient in bands of not more than #gjj4 ,for several reasons it is best to trim them on a cool day before they move around much in the morning4 ,avoid trimming in the heat of the day4 ,docking lambs in old corrals is dangerous1 because it is unsanitary--many lambs are likely to die if left standing in old corrals after being cut at docking time4 ,turn each lamb over the fence and out to pasture as you dock it and you will avoid this trouble4 ,when you can so arrange1 it is best to leave these trimmed bunches where they are the balance of the day4 ,at least do not overheat them by rushing them around1 either before or after trimming4 ,let them rest a while4 ,we have used a knife in tailing lambs for years1 but find they become a few pounds heavier during the summer season when seared1 so advise the use of searing tongs to do the tailing4 ,keep these tongs red hot1 so they will sear and stop all blood4 ,to sear lambs1 the docking corral is arranged the same as when you dock with the knife4 ,you simply have an extra man1 who places a stove or builds a fire to the right of the person doing the ear-marking and castrating4 ,in this fire or stove the tongs are kept hot1 and as the party doing the trimming passes the lamb to the right--the catcher still holding it--along the cutting board1 this extra man has the tongs ready to part the tails4 ,one heating of the tongs will sear and part the tails of four or five lambs4 ,you should1 however1 have at least two or three pairs of these tongs4 ,they are sold at ,chicago4 ,if1 after a few days1 two or three of your largest lambs become sick1 bleed them a little by cutting them under the tail stub4 ,use a solution of #ajj parts water to one part creosote sheep dip1 or the same solution of carbolic acid1 as a wash to swab wether lambs4 ,this will disinfect all cuts and keep flies from them4 ,you will also save many lambs that have been snagged1 dog or coyote bitten1 by disinfecting them at once1 or within a few hours1 with either of these solutions4 ,in castrating young lambs1 cut the scrotum or sack off about one-half inch from end1 then pinch tight above the testicles and draw them4 ,part the tails at about the lower end of skin on inside of tail4 ,at this time herd-mark each full band of ewes and their lambs distinctly with a separate mark1 so they can be parted in case they mix with another band during the summer season4 ,,pulling ,,lambs--,,eversion ,,of ,,womb4 ,in pulling lambs from ewes1 try to attend to such ewes before the lamb is dead4 ,get the legs out first2 pull slowly and be careful not to jerk--you may pull the lamb bed out of the ewe if you do4 ,should you do this1 or should you find a ewe with her womb cast1 it can be replaced by raising her hind parts and slowly forcing the womb back1 inserting the parts until the whole womb is turned in its proper shape and is in its natural position4 ,tie her left hind foot to a bush1 or something1 allowing her six to eight feet of rope2 leave her for an hour1 and her pulling will keep the parts in place until they become set4 ,where the parts have become dirty1 they should be brushed clean with a clean brush or rag4 ,do not wash with water4 ,inject or insert with a soft rag a few drops of a #aj per cent solution of carbolic acid4 ,when the lamb is in his natural position he will arrive with his head and front feet first1 giving the ewe little trouble1 unless the shoulder or withers are abnormally large4 ,when the head is swollen1 or one foot is still back1 it is certain the ewe needs assistance at once4 ,nearly all lambs coming with their hind legs or tail first must be pulled2 do this as soon as you notice it4 ,never neglect ewes laboring more than one hour4 ,if they have not had the lamb in this time1 it is absolutely necessary to take the lamb from them or it will be dead4 ,,twins3 ,,their ,,care--,,dead ,,lambs4 ,when a ewe has twins and is not willing or able to care for them both1 try to find a ewe with a dead lamb2 take the hide off the dead lamb by case skinning1 cutting the hind legs off at the second joint from the foot1 then open the skin between the hind legs1 pull what is left of the legs up through this opening1 then pull the hide back over the body4 ,cut off the front legs the same way1 then pull the hide down over the neck to the head2 cut it off there4 ,this will cover the live lamb all except the head and opening you made in taking off the hide4 ,over these exposed parts rub the entrails of the skinned lamb4 ,do not make the lamb red with blood1 for the ewe may scare from it4 ,always put the hide on the smallest of the twins1 leaving the best one with its own mother4 ,the hide should be left on no longer than is necessary to make the ewe own the lamb1 which is generally about #bd hours4 ,in real warm weather1 when flies give trouble1 it may prove best not to bother with the hide method1 but simply cut the entrails out of the dead lamb and rub them well all over the motherless lamb1 so the ewe that had the dead lamb will take it from the scent4 ,in most cases where the ewe has not had the opportunity of seeing or smelling her own lamb at birth1 she will accept any ,,newly born lamb the same as she would her own without using either of the above methods4 ,nearly all ewes with much milk will take to such lambs quickly1 while those with little milk are not easily fooled4 ,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 lamb4 ,experienced help will generally know by the action of the ewe just when to turn her loose with her adopted lamb4 ,still1 unless she has good feed and water while so tied or penned1 she will dry up in a few days1 when it becomes impossible for her to mother the bum4 ,extra good mothers dropping their lambs near others at times become over-anxious and claim lambs belonging to other ewes1 making it look like twins or better4 ,do not be fooled1 but single such ewes out with their lamb and put her stolen lamb or lambs with their right mothers4 ,,get ,,the ,,right ,,mothers4 ,keep your twinned ewes on good feed and water1 also by themselves1 if you expect them to raise you two good lambs4 ,at least try not to put them in large bunches until they are at least #aj or #ab days old4 ,,deformed ,,and ,,alkalied ,,lambs4 ,most deformed lambs1 born with twisted legs1 can be cured quickly by tying the deformed parts as near as possible in their natural position for a day or two4 ,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 eyelid1 when they will shrink nearly to their normal size1 allowing the lamb to open its eyes4 ,black alkali is very deadly to sheep1 and especially to young lambs4 ,its effects seem to be so sudden that there is little chance for a cure4 ,keep the young lambs away from all alkali beds and especially from black alkali holes during wet weather4 ,white alkali is not so fatal1 yet many good shepherds lose lambs by allowing them to nibble around alkali beds4 ,should you have some of these alkalied lambs or sheep1 treat them at once by giving the lambs one-quarter cupful of vinegar1 followed in one hour with three tablespoonsful of raw linseed oil4 ,sheep should be given one cup of vinegar and one-quarter cup linseed oil4 ,most sheep sick from this ailment will have a white alkali substance adhering to their nostrils4 ,where a lamb has no movement of the bowels1 give one tablespoonful of molasses and raw linseed oil1 mixed4 ,when troubled with too much bowel movement1 give one tablespoonful ginger and flour1 mixed1 once each day in both cases4 ,,large ,,and ,,spoiled ,,udders4 ,see that all lambs too weak to get up are suckled4 ,that all ewes with large udders are caught and milked out4 ,catch them without rushing them into a bunch of ewes and young lambs4 ,if you can't1 let them go until you can--watch for this opportunity4 ,tie or pen them up until the udder becomes normal and the lamb can get the teat without help4 ,many ewes having spoiled udders will come to good milk in a few days1 if milked out well two or three times daily4 ,when the ewe has a caked udder1 or is troubled with what is commonly known as blue bag1 treat her at once--for she will die if you don't--by milking out what you can4 ,then mix one pint of coaloil with two gallons of hot water1 wrap the udder with a heavy rag wet with this mixture2 let it remain for ten minutes1 remove1 and rub with a mixture of turpentine and lard1 or a weak solution of creosote sheep dip or carbolic acid4 ,repeat this treatment each morning and you will surely save the ewe in a few days4 ,where the ewe has her udder spoiled on one side only1 the milk being good on the other1 she is likely to raise her lamb4 ,however1 all these ewes should be marked1 so they may be disposed of in the fall shipment4 ,when a ewe has bummed her lamb because she has a spoiled udder1 take the lamb from her before it becomes too weak1 or dies2 find a ewe with a dead lamb1 then try to force the bummed lamb upon her as described under twins and their care4 ,,trailing ,,ewes ,,and ,,lambs--,,runbacks4 ,moving ewes and their lambs from one location to another often brings considerable loss to the owner4 ,where he has long drives to get to his summer range1 he is not only likely to lose many lambs1 but will lose considerable in flesh4 ,lambs are parted too much from their mothers1 and cannot get enough sleep while on the trail4 ,the shepherd should do his utmost and use all the care possible to avoid dropping lambs behind1 under brush1 in holes1 or otherwise4 ,the best of men lose lambs while trailing from one part of the range to another2 still this does not make it a necessary evil4 ,with due care this loss can be avoided4 ,try to do your trailing in the cool of early morning and late evening hours4 ,move them gently1 so most of the ewes can tote their lambs along by their side4 ,you will get along quite well this way1 for the ewes will then not trouble you trying to run back to hunt lambs4 ,do not overheat or weaken your lambs by continual dogging4 ,if you must drive them rapidly1 use rattle cans4 ,this noise will not only keep them on their feet1 but will scare them along much faster than a barking dog that always turns your leaders back on you4 ,rattle cans will always startle young lambs out of the brush much quicker than any dog when it is necessary to move them4 ,it sometimes takes two or three hours for all the ewes in a large band to find their lambs after being trailed4 ,until these ewes have all found their lambs there is danger of a runback should you leave them4 ,ewes will invariably become excited and run back to where they saw their lambs last whenever they miss them4 ,avoid this extra work1 and the hardship on the ewes and lambs1 by watching them until all the ewes have found their lambs whenever you have moved them4 ,losing lambs while trailing will generally cause the ewe to become sick with spoiled udder or blue bag4 ,,accidental ,,mixing4 ,we have seen men try to separate ewes and lambs that have become mixed through their carelessness1 or by accident1 before the boss got around1 causing heavy loss4 ,warn the men never to try this2 they never1 or very seldom1 can part them straight4 ,in a mix of this kind--we trust there will not be any--by all means try to leave the ewes quiet2 hold them still a few hours1 not too close1 so each ewe can single out her lamb and become contented4 ,this gives other ewes a chance to find their lambs without running from one part of the range to another4 ,when these mixed bunches are not rushed and pushed around they will likely straighten themselves out with as few bums as possible under such conditions4 ,should a mix of this kind make more than a full band1 the owner or foreman should put a light slat corral around the bunch 7this can be done quicker than moving them to a distant corral71 then counting out the number of ewes over and above a normal herd4 ,he should spend considerable time watching these ewes call their lambs out through lamb holes made in all parts of the corral4 ,,mixing1 ,,shelter1 ,,coyotes1 ,,badger ,,holes4 ,to keep each bunch of ewes and lambs from mixing with another bunch2 to have them in good shelter during any storm2 to milk out ewes with large teats and suckle their lambs until they are able to take the teat themselves1 are respectively the most important work for lambing hands4 ,it will be well to keep the men reminded that they will do much1 indeed1 for you and the sheep by being on the job at all times4 ,the sheep may need their attention any moment2 they may mix at any time2 coyotes are never all asleep2 there may be a lamb in a hole that should be pulled out before the ewe loses it2 a lamb may have become clogged behind and need cleaning2 an oncoming storm may make it necessary to place and hold them in shelter until it has passed4 ,a live1 watchful person is worth much indeed at lambing time4 ,a sleepy-head has little value around sheep at any time4 ,,foretelling ,,weather--,,almanacs1 ,,barometers4 ,although general storms are expected by everyone1 they are considered an abnormal condition4 ,severity is seldom guarded against1 which has often brought much loss at lambing time4 ,such storms may compel you to make many changes1 depending upon their duration and severity4 ,they will test the quality of your endurance4 ,stay with the ship and save the lambs4 ,the necessary changing of position may make much extra work for everyone4 ,necessity is the origin of achievement4 ,with your persistent patience1 together with your best mental effort1 you will come out of the storm with most of the lambs1 giving you the baa6 baa6 as their thanks4 ,as an illustration1 perhaps the reader may pardon the following true story3 ,some years ago while trailing two bands of ewes upon the desert1 we1 by mishap1 became short of camp water4 ,however1 necessity strengthened our observing power1 causing us to find a ledge of rock at the side of which grew a few wild rose bushes4 ,here with no little perseverance we dug until we found sufficient water for camp1 making a watering place for others where it was always thought impossible for water to be4 ,who can say1 had it been absolutely necessary to water the sheep1 also1 that we might not have made a pump out of the stove pipe1 a handle out of the wagon tongue1 a trough out of the wagon box1 and with this invention watered the two bands of ewes also8 ,after many years of close observation of weather conditions1 during all seasons of the year1 we are able to give you valuable information upon the weather you may expect ,,some ,,time during the seven days following any of the moon's changes4 ,we cannot say upon what exact date certain weather changes will take place1 but do state the weather that is most likely to predominate during any of the moon's phases4 ,when the new moon in any month comes in upon his back1 these storms will be more severe than when it comes in standing up4 ,the ,indian had no powder horn4 ,when the moon is moving from south to north it seldom fails to bring warmth1 while it hardly ever fails to bring cold weather upon its return from the north4 ,you should have a reliable almanac1 giving the exact time of each of the moon's changes in the standard time of your locality4 ,a storm-glass or barometer will keep you posted #bd to #cf hours before any weather change4 ,this may save you lambs4 ,this table can be used any part of the year1 allowing for snow in winter where the calculations foretell rain in summer4 ,if the new moon1 first quarter1 full moon1 or last quarter come in during the time given1 the weather most likely to follow ,,some ,,time during the next seven days will be as follows3 #ab midnight to #b a4 m4--,fair days1 cold nights4 #b a4 m4 to #h a4 m4--,cold and rainy4 #h a4 m4 to #b3cj p4 m4--,windy or heavy rains4 #b3cj p4 m4 to #f p4 m4--,fair and warm4 #f p4 m4 to #ab p4 m4--,fair days1 cold nights4 ,we have found the new moon most likely to bring an exception to this rule1 still we assure you this table is worth your consideration during all seasons of the year4 ,keep your lambs in shelter during severe storms by reading a good almanac and watching this table4 ,,herding1 ,,dogs ,,and ,,feed4 ,the good shepherd is not born every day4 ,a quiet1 unexcitable mental characteristic is the utmost necessity4 ,nervous1 excitable people become too easily angered2 they will wear themselves and the sheep out with over-work and abuse1 while the overly sentimental person becomes too easily disheartened2 others have to do his work while he stands around telling you in a sorrowful tone how it broke his heart to see that poor twin lamb die1 during which time other lambs in his care are dying from his neglect4 ,he is the first to give up the ship when everything goes dead wrong4 ,most ewes1 and especially two-year-olds1 are very timid and easily frightened from their lambs when left out by themselves or in small bunches4 ,for this and other reasons it is best to have few dogs upon a lambing ground1 especially around the dropping ewes4 ,if any1 they should be in care of experienced men only1 for whom they may head off a bad mix or find a lamb in a hole1 etc4 ,inexperienced men never watch their dogs close enough1 when the very best of dogs will scare many ewes from their lambs1 even though they are not very near them4 ,so if you can control the bunches without the aid of dogs1 it will always help your per cent to do so4 ,again1 it will be well to remind the help that they are on a lambing ground1 where it takes much cool temper and many hard knocks to make things go right at times4 ,inform them that it is not always possible to fatten the ewes during lambing1 so they will not run the drop band1 or the ewes with lambs1 all over the country each day looking for feed4 ,true1 they should be allowed to scatter and spread over their allotted pasture2 but we once heard an owner tell a new man to take the sheep out on good range and allow them to cover all the ground possible4 ,the next day we met this shepherd 787 about three miles from his camp1 dogging his sheep from one part of the range to another4 ,when asked where he was going1 he answered that the boss had told him to let them cover all the ground possible and that he was doing the best he could to get over all the ground4 ,needless to say that the boss is the loser when his flocks are tended in such a manner4 ,the lamb needs milk1 and the ewe needs feed to produce it1 but the lambs also need much sleep and rest to make them grow fast4 ,rather have the ewes near water and upon less feed until the lambs become at least ten days old4 ,,shed ,,lambing4 ,illustration ,for early or shed lambing the following illustrations will give a good idea of the individual pens1 of which there should be about #gj for each #a1jjj ewes4 ,these pens are about three and one-half feet long and #cb inches wide4 ,the panels and gates are #c feet high and are made of #a by #d-;inch boards2 the panels being made exactly #g feet long1 and the gates #cb inches wide4 ,at each end on both sides of the panels is nailed a #a by #b-;inch strip to space the #d-;inch boards1 as follows3 ,bottom space1 #b inches2 second space1 #c inches2 third space1 #e inches2 fourth space1 #f inches4 ,to partition the panels at the center1 we use #af or #bj-;foot boards1 as follows3 ,bottom space1 #d-;inch board notched inch on top and bottom sides1 at each cross section of panels2 second space1 #d-;inch board notched inch at each cross section of panels2 third space1 water trough1 #d inches deep1 #h inches wide2 fourth space1 #h-;inch board notched #a inch at each cross section of panel4 ,the panel has a #f-;inch board nailed upright at each outer end4 ,this makes the slide for the gate to pass up and down in1 also holding it in place4 ,on top of the panel notched in inch is a #b-;inch strip passing parallel with the gates1 but over the panels4 ,this strip stops the gates from falling inward4 ,as there are no nails used in these top strips nor in the boards which make the partition through the center1 these pens are easily collapsed and removed1 should the shed be used for other purposes during other seasons of the year4 ,to the sides are fastened gunny sacks to hold feed for each ewe4 ,on top at center is an #h-;inch walking board1 over which the attendants may pass without disturbing dropping ewes in other parts of the shed4 ,to clean the water trough when it becomes dirty there is an endless -inch rope passing through the trough and over the pens2 to this are attached rags or gunny sacks1 which are drawn through the trough4 ,tacked to the top board of panel in each pen there is a small canvas sack containing three different colored small rags or flags to indicate whether the ewe claims her lamb1 has twins1 large udder1 or is ready to turn out4 ,illustration ,,the ,,pullman4 ,this is the lamb wagon1 which brings the ewe and lamb to the shed from the pasture during the day4 ,it is made of the same material as the individual pens above described1 placed upon a low running gear1 with a floor made of #a-;inch boards1 with a #b by #b-;inch strip along each side to firmly hold the pens from any lateral or side motion4 ,there are seven pens on each side1 #ad in all4 ,to each gate and over the top and ends of the pens is tacked heavy canvas to exclude all rains and winds from the newly born lambs while they are being hauled from pasture to shed4 ,upon the range the ewe and lamb are sheltered during storms with a small sheep tepee until the ,pullman arrives1 which insures continual warmth for the lamb until he is placed in the shed4 ,there is feed for the ewe in sacks in each of the #ad pens4 ,indicating flags or rags are hung on small nails on each gate to show the attendant at the shed1 when the wagon arrives1 the character of each ewe1 that he may intelligently care for her and her lamb at once4 ,the dimensions are3 ,length of floor1 #ad feet2 width of floor1 #g feet2 length of panel1 #f feet #h inches2 width of gate1 #bb inches2 height of pens1 #c feet4 ,this allows each ewe a space #ci inches long and #bb inches wide4 ,such a wagon will cost complete about fifty dollars4 ,it will do the work for about #b1ejj dropping ewes1 when they are not pastured much more than one mile from the lambing shed4 ,the attendants at the shed1 after unloading the wagon and placing each ewe in an individual pen1 see that each lamb is suckled2 also that the ewe has plenty of good clean feed and water until she is ready to turn out and mix with other ewes and lambs1 according to the table of these rules4 ,illustration ,it may be necessary to keep obstinate ewes1 that will not claim their lamb1 penned for three or four days2 it is not advisable to hold them longer1 as they will dry up unless you have good milk-producing feed4 ,most ewes and their lambs can be numbered and turned out in small bunches of say fifty head1 after they have been in the individual pens #bd hours4 ,they can thus be kept in separate yards around the main lambing shed for three or more days4 ,here the attendant can watch them2 should any of the ewes refuse their lambs1 they can be easily picked out by their number and returned to the single pen4 ,after the lambs are four or five days old they can be placed in bands of three hundred and removed to other parts of the pasture1 where there is good shelter1 or1 better1 where there are other small sheds that will accommodate such small bunches4 ,illustration ,,night ,,work4 ,some owners have one or two men working among their dropping ewes all night when shed lambing4 ,these men remove the new-born lambs and their mothers from the dropping ewes as soon as they drop4 ,this method is very hard on the ewes2 it breaks their rest4 ,after being worked this way for eight or ten nights1 all ewes not in extra good condition1 together with those heavy with twins1 will become very weak2 many of them will dry up in milk and become unable to raise a lamb4 ,a much better system is to partition the dropping ewes off with panels each night when they come into the shed1 allowing about #aej to each compartment or lot4 ,thus there will be but few lambs to care for in each lot in the morning2 these can be readily removed when turning out the ewes4 ,this permits the ewes to conserve their strength for the sick spell1 with a good rest at night4 ,,tags4 ,during this lambing the sheep generally still carry their wool4 ,this often causes the new-born lamb considerable trouble4 ,careless shepherds often allow lambs to suck tags until they die4 ,it only takes a moment to remove the tags from the udder1 so watch all new-born lambs when lambing wool sheep until you are sure the lamb has found the teat4 ,some flockmasters have all their dropping ewes shorn around the udder just before lambing sheep with the wool on4 ,,salt4 ,after lambs become two weeks old they will begin to nibble for salt4 ,if you do not allow them the salt they will eat any loose dirt4 ,this may kill a few in any case4 ,should your pasture contain much alkali1 or soil containing small quantities of arsenic matter1 you are likely to lose quite a number of the lambs about the time they begin eating1 as they invariably nibble for a salt substance first4 ,if convenient1 feed the loose salt in troughs only2 otherwise use block salt4 ,allow about three ounces per ewe each week1 or roughly speaking twenty pounds of salt for each one hundred ewes and their lambs per week4 ,they will require this amount only where they are on very soft1 green feed4 ,upon the range1 where there is considerable natural salt feed1 or the water is strongly alkalized1 they will not consume that amount4 ,where they are given salt at regular intervals there is no danger of over-feeding4 ,salt is good for the wool2 it makes good healthy lambs4 ,,chilled ,,lambs4 ,chilled lambs bring chilled men4 ,these lambs take the life and incentive out of many new men who stand around in dejected spirits1 while the real shepherd does much of their work to revive and prevent chilled lambs everywhere4 ,there are many ways to revive the chilled lambs found upon any lambing ground4 ,some persons wrap them in a cloth taken out of hot water4 ,others wrap them well in dry rags4 ,some give hot milk1 whiskey1 brandy1 etc4 ,either of these treatments will generally revive them4 ,a very simple method is to take a rag or gunny sack and rub them until respiration fully returns2 rub them quite dry if wet1 put a very small amount of salt upon the tongue--this stimulates the heart to action by causing a light general irritation4 ,when the lamb has enough life to take milk1 suckle it just a little1 not too much2 repeat in an hour4 ,when the tongue of the lamb is still warm he will surely and quickly come to real life if you will kindly treat him as described4 ,place all such lambs in the best shelter1 where they are out of the wind1 and most of them will be with you when the storm is over4 ,a little extra work at this time will always be greatly appreciated by every one concerned4 ,,the ,,early ,,lamb4 ,as a general thing early lambs are considerably more expensive to the producer than the late lambs born upon the open range4 ,the ewes need extra feed through the winter months1 in order that they may have milk for the young1 even though there is no green grass4 ,yet in most cases this extra cost is justified by the greater value of the lamb at shipping time4 ,these lambs grow and put on flesh very rapidly upon the soft young grass of the early spring months1 when their mothers give so much milk4 ,again1 as most breeders use their oldest ewes or the ones that they know will need much extra feed and care through the winter months1 for this lambing1 there is another consolation in the fact that should such a ewe lose her lamb at lambing time1 she1 too1 will have advantage of that soft green feed so essential to place old ewes in good marketable shape at shipping time4 ,another advantage is that the lamb can be taken from them during the summer or early fall months1 which permits the ewe to become in good condition for the next breeding or the following winter4 ,,signs ,,of ,,the ,,zodiac4 ,in docking lambs we have had the best success when the sign was at ,taurus1 ,neck4 ,in breeding1 we find when the ewe comes in season or heat while the sign is at ,scorpio and the ram is given during her first day in1 the ewe will predominate the sex4 ,especially is this true when the ewe is somewhat older than the ram4 ,should the ram be given when the ewe is going out1 the sex of offspring will be nearly even4 ,when the ewe comes in while the sign is at ,aries or ,taurus1 and the ram is not given until the second day1 the ram will strongly predominate the sex4 ,this is also especially true where the ram is a little the oldest and in a somewhat better physical condition4 ,close attention shows us this law of nature very clearly1 yet we have much to learn regarding it4 ,try it next season when breeding4 ,we are indeed aware that circumstances will not always permit you to abide by these rules to the minute4 ,perhaps they will save lambs even if followed only in part4 ,use them--try them4 ,use the same mental effort to keep you out of ,,mistakes that you use to get the ,,other ,,fellow to straighten them4 ,in closing1 we have tried to make the wording simple and without too much detail1 which might give to a simple matter the appearance of being complicated4 ,we would gladly be on the job1 to see the boys1 the lay of the land1 the feed and water1 or other details4 ,for these1 and to get the most out of your environs1 your judgment is always essential to bring the total per cent for which you are working1 and which we so sincerely wish you4 ,respectfully yours1 ,,thomas ,,boylan4 ,transcriber's changes and known problems3 ,some words or phrases are spelled inconsistently in the original book4 ,these have been transcribed as originally printed3 scare-crow and scarecrow1 every one and everyone1 and any one and anyone4 ,p4 #ad3 ,in the phrase1 lower end of skin on inside of tail1 the word on appears to have been changed from or by hand on the original page4 ,p4 #be3 ,changed sotrms to storms in the phrase during severe storms by reading4 ,p4 #be3 ,changed menatl to mental in the phrase unexcitable mental characteristic4 ,p4 #ch3 ,the phrase when the sign was at ,taurus1 ,neck1 is transcribed as in the original book4