TYPES AND MARKET CLASSES OF LIVE STOCK 223 



are often paunchy. Western lambs answering to this descrip- 

 tion classify as feeders unless they are very coarse, hence this 

 grade is mostly filled by native lambs. 



Common or cull lambs. Coarse, ill-shaped, thin lambs 

 grade as common or culls. With one exception they are very 

 light in weight, ranging from 30 to 50 pounds. The exception 

 is found in the case of coarse, "bucky" lambs, the result of too 

 late castration. The development of sex explains their coarse- 

 ness and heavy weight, as they are heavier than the bulk of 

 common lambs, sometimes weighing as much as 100 pounds. 

 Common lambs are mostly natives. Their lack of flesh is often 

 due to infestation by internal parasites. 



Fig. 65. Prime Western Yearlings. 



Many uncastrated lambs still come to market, but prin- 

 cipally from the small farms never from large farms or ranches 

 where sheep raising is recognized as a business. They are dis- 

 criminated against rather severely at times by buyers. Ram 

 lambs are so restless that they do not acquire the finish of wether 

 lambs. This is especially true after they have reached the age 

 of 3 or 4 months. Tests have shown that wether lambs make 

 11 per cent, more gains in weight than do ram lambs under 

 similar conditions, and the difference in fatness is much more 

 marked. Lambs should be docked and castrated when from 

 7 to 10 days old. 



