THE LAMBING SEASON.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 396, 16 September 1911, Page 5

THE LAMBING SEASON.

From published records it appears that good percentages of lambs arc , being registered in most partsof the , country districts, although it is staled that the number of dry ewes this, year is greater than usual. This is partly accounted for by the dry weather during the mating season, i There should be a very small mortality among the lambs this spring. J that is as far as the weather is concerned. So far there has been no ; cold, boisterous days with their check- ; ing influences, and losses will consequently be small, provided due care is ; taken in shepherding. Docking percentages are, however, not very reliable, because of the various methods : in vogue upon which calculations are i based. In any ease, it is the number j that is reared successfully and marketed that counts. In the fat lamb- j raising business the breeders object ! is to first secure as large a peseentage as possible, and more important still, to manage his llock in such a way that the lambs do not receive any check in their growth from the time that they are born until the buyer comes along. To ensure this desirable end, a great deal of care is necessary in providing a good supply of succulent with frequent changes of pasture. If the ewes are not well fed and cared tor it is hopeless to expect early drafts of lambs. It frequently happens that farmers are disappointed that their lambs do not put on condition as quickly as might be expected even when there is an abundance of feed, and their owners are at a loss to discover the reason. When this is so it is always advisable to make sure that they are free from ticks and insects of any kind, for it is unreasonable to expect a rapid growth when the lambs are covered with multitudes of parasites that are sucking away their life--blood. At this time of the year it is well known that ticks forsake the old sheep in favour of their tender offspring. To counteract this many fat lamb-raisers advocate the immersion of lambs in the dip as soon as they have grown sufficient wool to hold the fluid. That would be when they are about six weeks old. and at quent intervals afterwards. Ewes are generally shorn early in November, and even if the lambs have not, been dipped previous to that time, the dipping of the whole flock, ewes and lambs, would ensure a clean flock. If is not an easy matter to thoroughly rid a flock from ticks, because it is well known that these insects will live for some time in the camping grounds after the sheep have been removed and are easily picked up again when the sheep are returned to that

field. Speaking of dipping calls to mind the fact that comparatively few farmers have dips of their own. which may partly account for preventive measures in dealing with insects not being generally put into operation.