For early or shed lambing the following illustrations will give a
good idea of the individual pens, of which there should be about 70 for
each 1,000 ewes. These pens are about three and one-half feet long and
32 inches wide. The panels and gates are 3 feet high and are made of 1
by 4-inch boards; the panels being made exactly 7 feet long, and the
gates 32 inches wide. At each end on both sides of the panels is nailed
a 1 by 2-inch strip to space the 4-inch boards, as follows: Bottom
space, 2½ inches; second space, 3 inches; third space, 5 inches;
fourth space, 6 inches. To partition the panels at the center, we use 16
or 20-foot boards, as follows: Bottom space, 4-inch board notched ¾
inch on top and bottom sides, at each cross section of panels; second
space, 4-inch board notched ½ inch at each cross section of panels;
third space, water trough, 4 inches deep, 8 inches wide; fourth space,
8-inch board notched 1 inch at each cross section of panel. The panel
has a 6-inch board nailed upright at each outer end. This makes the
slide for the gate to pass up and down in, also holding it in place. On
top of the panel notched in ¾ inch is a 2-inch strip passing parallel
with the gates, but over the panels. This strip stops the gates from
falling inward. As there are no nails used in these top strips nor in
the boards which make the partition through the center, these pens are
easily collapsed and removed, should the shed be used for other purposes
during other seasons of the year. To the sides are fastened gunny sacks
to hold feed for each ewe. On top at center is an 8-inch walking board,
over which the attendants may pass without disturbing dropping ewes in
other parts of the shed. To clean the water trough when it becomes dirty
there is an endless ¼-inch rope passing through the trough and over
the pens; to this are attached rags or gunny sacks, which are drawn
through the trough. 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 lamb, has twins, large
udder, or is ready to turn out.
[Illustration]
THE "PULLMAN."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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