242 The Management of Sheep Stock 



The past winter has taught us to give these roots in a healthier 

 form, eking out the supply by a nice admixture of other food 

 supplied in a palatable form. I have lately inspected a flock 

 of Hampshire Down ewes that did not have a root before 

 lambing. They ran on grass land during the day, being hurdled 

 at night, so as to dress and improve the pasture. Morning and 

 night they got trough-food, consisting of straw and hay-chafF, 

 two-thirds of the former to one-third of the latter; bruised oats, 

 and palm-nut meal ; the cost of the artificial food amounted to 

 2|rf. a head weekly ; not one ewe died during the winter, and I 

 never saw animals in a more promising state for lambing. This 

 subject will be more fully entered upon when discussing the 

 management of the ewe. 



A flock kept for breeding fat stock should be closely culled, 

 so as to be always young; 3 or 4 lambs from each ewe is suffi- 

 cient. The draft ewes are thus always good in the mouth, and 

 vigorous, and will readily feed, and come out at little expense, 

 equal in value to the young ewes that take their place, instead of 

 being got rid of at a sort of casualty price, when old and broken- 

 mouthed. Then, again, a young flock will stand trying circum- 

 stances much better than old crones. The lambs will come 

 stronger, and grow lustier; indeed, there is every reason in 

 favour of this system. The only exception is in favour of very 

 valuable animals kept for breeding males. In such cases a 

 favourite ewe is often put to the ram as long as she can keep life 

 together ; and no doubt this is right, as some ewes prove them- 

 selves wonderful mothers. In a flock of 200 we should introduce 

 50 to 60 shearling ewes annually, to re])lacc the regular draft and 

 any unsound or barren animals. Great care should be exercised 

 in examining the flock to see that all the ewes that have win- 

 tered badly, and not done their lambs well, be withdrawn. 



Choice of Sires. 



There are many points connected with ram-breeding which 

 would be out of place in this essay, which treats of ordinary 

 flocks ; yet, even for these, the importance of procuring good 

 males to secure symmetrical form and quality of flesh, is un- 

 doubted. The recent high price of long wool has tempted 

 some flockmasters to neglect the form, in their eagerness to 

 secure a heavy jacket. Let us remember that the greatest 

 master of the art of sheep-breeding built up the beautiful 

 Dishley sheep out of the coarse, ill-formed Leicester, principally, 

 if not entirely, by selecting those animals that exhibited quality 

 and symmetry. We must look, therefore, that we have the neat, 

 well-shaped head, moderately full neck, oblique shoulders, wide 

 chest, straight back, springing ribs, good fore and hind flank, 



