Sex-Determination in Sheep 



55 



record of a carefully conducted experi- 

 ment on an exceedingly interesting and 

 much debated subject, and in this con- 

 nection an account of the methods of 

 weighing and feeding the sheep which 

 took part should be of interest. The 

 following account is taken from a report 

 to Dr. Bell under date of September 

 10, 1908, made by Mr. J. C. Davidson, 



fall experiments, I referred to the fact 

 that feeding of the sheep collectively 

 did not give justice to all sheep aHke, 

 as some sheep, like every other animal, 

 are gluttonous when they are fed any- 

 thing suitable tx3 their taste, and I 

 suggested that we feed all sheep 

 individually; which would necessitate 

 the building of a barn for that purpose. 



SHEEP WITH EARS FULLY PUNCHED 



By the use of all of the eight positions for punched holes, as shown 

 in the diagram, 256 sheep can be identified. In small ex- 

 perimental herds, it is usually necessary to use only a part of 

 the positions indicated. The sheep can easily be identified in 

 the field, if the shepherd walks in front of them and attracts 

 their attention; they then raise their ears, and the holes 

 punched can be made out readily. (Fig. 2a.) 



Superintendent of Beinn Bhreagh 

 Nurseries, who has had charge of the 

 flock for many years past : 



' ' In former years it has been the 

 custom every fall to do more or less 

 extra feeding before or during the mating 

 season. Hitherto this has all been 

 done with the whole flock collectively. 

 In the early part of the simimer of 

 1907, discussing our arrangements for 



" Having a good idea of the amount of 

 time experimental work of any kind con- 

 sumes, I planned the feeding pens in 

 circular form with a large circular box 

 in the center to hold the feed, as a 

 labor saving device. This enables a 

 man to feed the entire circuit of the 

 pens, which hold 19 sheep at once, in 

 practically less time than it would 

 otherwise take to walk from the feed 



