SHEEP 35 



Where Sheep Live. The sheep can live on rough 

 hillsides and mountain cliffs where other domestic 

 animals would starve. They thrive best in cool cli- 

 mates, because of their heavy coats of wool. They 

 require less grain and will eat more kinds of food 

 than the horse or cow. So they are more easily 

 cared for (Fig. 20). 



The Use of Sheep. A flock of sheep increases very 

 rapidly, for ewes, or mother sheep, often bear twin 



FiC". lIO, A (,OGil animal caia no mJie hut pajs better. 



lambs every year. The lamb's become full-grown in 

 a few months, and their flesh makes excellent food, 

 while the fleeces make woolen clothes for the people 

 of many lands. When prices of wool are fair, a 

 good ewe will pay her board and keep through the 

 year with her fleece. The flesh of the sheep is worth 

 about half as much as the wool. If she raises two 

 lambs they are clear gain to the farmer. Sheej) 

 have no equal as weed-destroyers, for they eat 

 nearly every weed that grows on the farm. In small 

 numbers they build up and enrich the land, for 

 sheep manure is worth more as a fertilizer than 



