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.