Rural School Leaflet. 



IO91 



ing the natural breeding tendencies of sheep. If we can get the lambs in 

 October and keep them growing, the hot-house lamb business is fairly 

 profitable. The Homed Dorsets and Merinos seem to be specially well 

 adapted to this business, bearing their lambs early and at the same 

 time producing plenty of milk for the lambs to grow on. The Dorset 

 is the best milk producer among our breeds of sheep. 



As feed for these lambs there is nothing that can take the place of 

 mother's milk. As soon as possible the lambs are taught to eat grain 

 and are kept growing until they reach a weight of 45 to 50 pounds live 

 weight, when they are killed and sent to market. 



Ordinary sheep farming. — Ordinary sheep farming is not a highly 

 specialized business. Sheep are usually kept in small numbers on our 

 general farms as a sort of " side line." The sheep commonly sought 

 are what we might call general purpose animals; that is, animals from 

 which we may expect two sources of income each season: from the wool 

 and from the sale of lambs. In order to get the largest amount of 

 money from the lambs, they must be born in March and be ready for 

 market in July at a weight of 75 to 80 pounds. Lambs born much later 

 than March are put on the market too late to get the best prices. 



For our general farms, perhaps the ordinary kind of sheep farming 

 is the most profitable since it does not take the care nor the time that 

 the more specialized business requires. The sheep can be carried along 

 with the other farm work and with care and good feed will turn in a 

 good percentage of profit. The business of raising sheep, besides being 

 profitable, gives pleasure to the man who will take an interest in his 

 flock and learn to know his animals. 



