HOTHOUSE LAMB BUSINESS PAYS 



By Wendell P. Miller, Fairlands Farm, Sunbury, Ohio 



Hothouse lambs have furnished an important part of the winter 

 meat supply of the larger cities for the past 25 years. When we 

 first heard of the growing demand for these winter lambs it seemed 

 to us that Central Ohio was too far from New York to safely 

 send fresh meat without refrigeration, also it looked like an 

 expert butcher would be required. Both these fears however 

 were without foundation, for the express trains carry the meat 

 safely and the butchering is very simple. Twenty years ago 10- 

 week-old lambs sold for 18 to $10 each from Thanksgiving 

 to Easter, while last year we sold several at $15 apiece and the 

 market demand was not filled. 



The Best Breeds 



In starting the hothouse lamb business the first requisite is 

 to get a flock of ewes that will breed in the spring. We prefer 

 Merino-Dorset ewes and Tunis rams. 



The lambs from this cross fatten early, the dark faces and 

 short wool add much to the appearance, and the well-fattened 

 carcass has just the proper pinkness of flesh to suit the New York 

 trade. Another point in favor of the grade Tunis is the heavy 

 development of the caul fat, which adds greatly to the finished 

 appearance of the carcass. 



May is the favorite month with us for breeding. If possible 

 it would be best not to have the lambs born until the flock is ready 

 to go into winter quarters, for in this way they would entirely 

 escape stomach worms and can be gotten to eating grain much 

 younger. 



Best Feed for Breeding Ewes 



If the pasture has not been abundant we begin to feed the 



Ewes and Hothouse Lambs at Purdue Farm, La Fayette, Ind. 

 39 



