lo Nov., 1908.] Merino Rams. 651 



MERIXO RAMS. 



{Continued from fage 50 f). 

 H . W . Ham, Sheep Expert. 



Two-tooth rams cannot be selected for wool points, with a certainty 

 of every individual sheep coming up to the standard again at four-tooth, 

 although with long experience and close observation, one can come 

 reasonably close to doing so. Very often a two- tooth ram ma\ have met 

 with fortunate circumstances, such as being born in a favorable autumn, 

 and consequently been well reared ; he may meet a favorable time for 

 weaning in the following spring and summer, and with the autumn again 

 good, he could, on strong healthy pasture, be a light forequartered ram 

 and yet be well grown and nicely wool led. But often from two to 

 four-tooth a. ram of better constitutional shape will keep on improving, 

 while the light forequartered sheep fails, or at best only maintains his 

 qualities. In all breeds this is one of the main reasons for promising 

 two-tooths not turning out up to expectations at four and six-tooth. If 

 the choice lay between tall light forequartered rams grown under favorable 

 circumstances in healthy country, and shapely lesser well-grown rams, not 

 under sized, from second-rate pasture, all fleece conditions being about 

 equal, the latter class is preferable, and if continued with, gives better 

 results in the end anywhere. 



Ram lambs are difficult to grow well up to "two-tooths. " Although 

 ewe weaners are checked in many cases with fly-blow, in-growing eye- 

 lashes, wool-blindness, ophthalmia, scald, etc., they thrive and look better 

 than the same age ram weaners. Ram lambs have to be taken from the 

 ewes at an earlier age than ewe lambs. This is the chief reason of their 

 backwardness as compared with ewes at the same age ; but added to this, 

 at about weaning time, when they are about five months old, the develop- 

 ment of their sexual organs commences, and horns grow very fast, and 

 continue doing so right on through the winter. This, with the growtn 

 of the fleece, all requires maintenance. In late winter the loss of their 

 lamb's teeth commences, and they become practically broken-mouthed. A 

 broken-mouthed weaner is for a time worse off than an old sheep. Very 

 often they are found with the gums bleeding, especiallv at the stage wnen 

 the lamb's teeth are breaking out, and the new teeth coming through. All 

 things considered, they have a harder time than the ewe weaners. 



Ram lambs can beget occasional lambs at about five months old, and 

 while it is desirable to keep them as long as possible on the mother's milk 

 care has to be taken to prevent them from getting some of the ewes in 

 lamb. It is difficult to know exactly when a ram lamb should come 

 away. Size is not always a true guide ; lambs are dropped during six 

 to eight weeks, and there is then often two months difference in the ages 

 when weaning time comes. It is a good plan to take ram lambs away 

 fortnightly or thereabouts. One guide is growth of horn, but a better 

 method is to run them past along the forcing pen fence, only ai few at 

 a time. A fair idea of age can then be obtained by noting size, growth 

 of horn, etc. If allowed to stand a few seconds, the oldest will be seen 

 to lower the testicles down well into the purse, and when made to run 

 they will draw them up smartly. When they can lower the testicles well 

 down they should come away; any doubtful ones must be handled. A 

 ram lamb that cannot lower his testicles is impotent, and an old ram that 

 cannot raise them is the same. 



{To be continued). 



