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.