EXPERIMENTS IN SHEEP HUSBANDRY. 
THOMAS SHAW. 
This bulletin contains two experiments. The first of 
these relates to changing the breeding habit in sheep, and 
the second to pasturing wethers with and without grain. 
SECTION No. 1. 
CHANGING THE BREEDING HABIT IN SHEEP. 
In some of the large cities of the East a considerable de- 
mand is springing up for, what is commonly termed, winter 
lambs, although the term hot-house lambs has also been ap- 
plied. They are called winter lambs because they are put 
upon the market at that season, although not yet weaned. 
And they are called hot house lambs, because they are reared 
under what may be termed forcing conditions, and under 
conditions of protection more complete than those which 
usually apply to lambs. The latter term, however, is some- 
thing of a misnomer, as, in growing them, the conditions as 
to temperature do not of necessity require to be much 
warmer than those suitable for other lambs. Winter lambs 
may be dropped at any time from October to the end of 
January or February, and they are usually ready for the 
market at the age of 60 to 90 days. At thatagethey should 
weigh from 50 to 60 pounds, if they and their dams have 
been properly fed. 
Advantages in Growing Winter Lambs.—The advan- 
tage in growing such lambs lies, first, in the relatively high 
price which they bring at a season of the year when such 
meat is regarded as a delicacy; second, in the fact that the 
labor of growing them comes at a season when labor is not 
so valuable as at others seasons; third,in providing asource 
of revenue at a time when the labor does not ordinarily in- 
terfere with the work of the farm, and fourth, in making it 
easily possible to dispose of the dams at agood price because 
of the season at which they may be marketed. The price for 
such lambs usually runs from 10 cents upward per pound, 
