Book VII. BREEDING OF SHEEP. 997 



641 1. The criteria of a sound healthy sheep, are, a rather wild or lively briskness ; a 

 brilliant clearness in the eye ; a florid ruddy color on the inside of the eyelids, and what 

 are termed the eyestrings, as well as in the gums ; a fastness in the teeth ; a sweet 

 fragrance in the breath ; a dryness of the nose and eyes ; breathing easy and regular ; a 

 coolness in the feet; dung properly formed ; coat or fleece firmly attached to the skin, and 

 unbroken ; the skin exhibiting a florid red appearance, especially upon the brisket. "Where 

 there are discharges from the nose and eyes, it indicates their having taken cold, and 

 should be attended to by putting them in dry sheltered situations. IThis is a necessary 

 precaution also in bringing them from one situation to another while on the road. 



6412. The criteria of the age of sheep is the state of their teeth : by their having, in 

 their second year, two broad teeth ; in their third year, four broad teeth ; in their fourth 

 year, six broad teeth ; and in their fifth year, eight broad teeth before. After which, 

 none can tell how old a sheep is while iheir teeth remain, except by their being worn 

 down. About the end of one year, rams, wethers, and all young sheep, lose the two 

 fore-teeth of the lower jaw ; and they are known to want the incisive teeth in the upper 

 jaw. At eighteen months, the two teeth joining to the former, also fall out ; and at 

 three years, being all replaced, they are even and pretty white. But as these animals 

 advance in age, the teeth become loose, blunt, and afterwards black. The age of the 

 ram, and all horned sheep, may also be known by their horns, which show themselves 

 in their very first year, and often at the birth, and continue to grow a ring annually to 

 the last period of their lives. 



6413. The different ages and conditions of sheep have different names in different dis- 

 tricts. After being weaned, the ram, or wedder lamb, is sometimes termed hog, hoggit, 

 or tag, during the whole of the first year ; and the female lamb, an ewe, or gimmer 

 lamb, and ewe tag. The second year the wedder has the title of shear hog, or a two- 

 toothed tag ; and the ewe is called a thaive, or two-toothed ewe. In the third year, a 

 shear hog, or four-toothed wedder ; and a four-toothed ewe or thaive. The fourth year, 

 a six-toothed wedder, or ewe ; and in some places, from the time of lambing till that of 

 salving, the males are called tup-lambs ; and from that period, till the time of shearing, 

 tup -hogs, and ever afterwards, tups : the females in the same order being termed, ewe- 

 lambs, ewe-hogs, gimmers, young ewes, old ewes. The gelded male lambs, castrated 

 wedder lambs, wedder hogs, dummonds, wedders. Crones also signify old ewes; 

 and there are several other provincial names, which are explained in their proper 

 places. 



Sect. III. Of Breeding Sheep. 



6414. In the breeding of sheep a greater degree of perfection has been attained than in 

 any other live stock ; and in this branch, in particular, the breeders of England stand 

 higher than those of any other country. Bake well, by careful selection during several 

 generations, raised his stock to a state of excellence, in regard to fattening at an early age 

 with a moderate consumption of food, and with the smallest proportion of offal, which 

 has been with difficulty equalled, certainly has not been exceeded, by the most skilful of 

 his successors. It is a striking instance of the division of labor and skill, that there are 

 breeders who devote themselves entirely to the breeding of rams for the purpose of letting 

 out on hire. This practice originated in Lincolnshire, where in the early part of the last 

 century, rams were let out at from 10s. to 20s. each ; but so great has been the improve- 

 ment since that period that they are now let out to common graziers at from 1 to 10 gui- 

 neas, and to breeders of rams at from 20/. to 200 guineas. The breeding rams are 

 shown for hire at certain times and places during the summer,'where every one may select 

 such as promise to maintain or improve the particular state of his flock, and at such prices 

 as his means and experience may justify. Two or more individuals frequently join to- 

 gether in the hire of one ram, to which they put the best of their ewes, for the purpose of 

 obtaining superior males for the future service of the rest of their flocks ; and in particular 

 cases, when the owner of the ram does not choose to part with him, even for a season, 

 ewes are sent to him to be covered at a certain price per head ; superior animals of this 

 class being very seldom sold altogether. Much as this mode of doing business has been 

 reprobated as a monopoly, and much as there sometimes may be of deception in making 

 up rams for these shows, all intelligent practical men must agree, ihat there can be no 

 better method of remunerating eminent breeders, and of spreading their improvements 

 most widely, in the shortest period, and at the least possible expense, A single ram thus 

 communicates its valuable properties to a number of flocks, often in distant parts of the 

 country, without distracting the attention of ordinary breeders from their other pursuits. 



6415. The two methods of breeding common to all animals are also adopted in breeding 

 sheep. Breeding from different families of the same race, commonly called breeding in 

 and in ; and breeding from different races, generally called cross breeding. Bakewell, 

 according to Sir J. Sebright, {On improving the Breeds of domestic Animals, ^c), effected 

 his improvements by breeding from the same family j but according to Hunt, who 



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