SELECTING EWES FOR THE FARM FLOCK 



221 



good lot of lambs he can market all of them at the same time and 

 such lots always meet with ready demand on the market. Should 

 the ewes be very unlike in breeding their lambs are almost sure to 

 lack in uniformity, even though they are all by the same sire. Then, 

 too, the wool from ewes lacking in uniformity of breeding is likely 

 to vary so much in quality that it can not be disposed of to the best 

 advantage. 



Second, ewes selected for the farm flock should be well grown 

 and thrifty. If they look as though they have been well cared for 

 and have had a chance to become fully developed, the owner has 



FIG. 148. Choice Western breeding ewes suitable for producing prime market lambs 

 when mated with pure bred rams of proper mutton type. See lambs from these ewes in 

 frontispiece and in Figs. 75, 85 and 89. 



reason to feel that their inherited maternal powers will function to 

 full extent. Sometimes stunted ewes are good producers of lambs, 

 but more often they are not. It is seldom advisable to start with 

 unthrifty females for the reason that they are usually infested with 

 internal parasites, such as stomach worms, lung worms, and tape- 

 worms. Unthrifty ewes may do exceedingly well when placed 

 where sheep have not been grazed for years, in which case their 

 purchase seems to be a bargain, but they are likely to infest the 

 pastures with the result that before the owner is aware of it he is 

 beset with parasitic troubles (Fig. 149). 



Third, breeding ewes should be not only well grown and thrifty, 

 but they should also bear evidence of strong constitution. They 



