lo Dec, 1910.] Export Lambs. 787 



EXPORT LAMBS. 



H. W . Ham, Sheep Expert. 



Wether Lambs "Plainer" than Ewe Lambs. 



As a rule, ewe lambs are graded into higher qualities than wether 

 lambs. A visit to one of the large freezing works would be educational to 

 many lamb-raisers. It would, or should, cause them to improve their 

 methods. The .sexes are easily distinguished, as ewe lambs " dress " more 

 neatly about the udder than the wethers do about the purse. 



In some well bred and well fed flocks, ewe lambs go into first grades 

 at the rate of 80 to 90 per cent., whereas wether lambs of the same 

 flock go no more than from 40 to 50 per cent. Even in badly fed flocks, 

 the ewe lambs " dress " better than wether lambs. Whilst it is natural 

 that ewes should fatten more quickly than the ram lambs, the difference 

 should not be so great. Wethers are the plainest on the forequarters and 

 neck, and show the most lean. 



Late marking is, however, the real cause and, added to this, the old 

 rough and ready method of drawing out the testicle, cord, and vein, makes 

 matters worse. Marking as early as practicable is the course recommended, 

 but once a ram lamb has been allowed to develop, " proud " castra- 

 tion should then be practised, for it is at that stage when most of the 

 plainness of the forequarters is brought about. While the ewe lamb keeps 

 going, the wether lamb has to make up what he has lost owing to un- 

 necessarily severe castration. For example, in some flocks, 3 to 4 per 

 cent, of ram lambs are found to be uncastrated. These strip better on 

 the forequarters than do the wether lambs of the same flock, unless the 

 latter were marked young. Ram lambs often go first grade. Should they 

 be put lower, it is only one grade, as a rule, and that mainly on account 

 of dressing unsightly at the purse through the testicles being removed by 

 the butchers. 



When lambs are over a month old, just the soft interior of the testicle 

 should be removed, leaving the blood vessel, cord and casing undisturbed. 

 The slight " cordiness," only found on careful handling, even in two 

 and three year old wethers, has not been found detrimental in any way, 

 either from the standpoint of the grazier or the butcher. 



Careful tail-searing has assisted towards early maturity and quality, 

 but early castration of all ram lambs is still more important. Where this 

 has not been practised, proud cutting is the next best method. 



Whilst it is wrong to allow lambs to go over three weeks before being 

 marked, it is, under some circumstances, inadvisable to muster ewes before 

 all have lambed, or to mark lambs during wet or stormy periods. 



Nearly every farmer knows that quality of feed, not always quantity, is 

 indispensable for producing good quality Iamb. It is not, however, 

 realized by half of our farmers that, if lambs are bred from narrow fore- 

 quartered merino-type stock, and the ram lambs are marked late in the 

 rough style, the latter cannot help but dress plain on the fore-ends, no 

 matter how well fed they may have been. They will also be lighter than 

 ewes, and early-marked wether lambs from stock of more thickness. 



{To be continued.) 



