282 GROWING THE IAMB 



they become so badly infested as to be almost useless. Fortunately 

 there are permanent pastures in regions where sheep parasites are 

 to be found that for some reason do not become badly infested. 

 Sheep thrive on them year after year, 



On the other hand, annual forage crops and such crops as 

 clover and alfalfa are by no means parasite proof, but if they are in 

 a rotation system of cultivation, the chances are that they will not 

 become so badly infested as permanent pastures. 



In recent years many permanent pastures in the middle west of 

 the United States have had to give way to grain crops. Instead of 

 roomy pastures once so common, are now seen little cramped, over- 

 stocked grass lots. These are undoubtedly relatively less efficient for 

 sheep than larger pastures, because the grass is not allowed to get 

 enough leaf surface to grow well, and the ground, besides becoming 

 badly infested with parasites, is tainted with the droppings from 

 the sheep and other farm animals. 



The circumstances related above, coupled with the fact that 

 such pastures as bluegrass do not last through all of the grazing 

 season, raises the question as to whether sheep husbandry can be 

 successfully followed by depending largely on forage crops. Un- 

 doubtedly, it can. Prime lambs can be produced on farms that do 

 not have a foot of permanent grass, and the future will furnish 

 numerous instances of it. With clover, alfalfa, sweet clover, rye, 

 rape, soybeans, and cowpeas to work into a scheme for handling 

 the flock, it will be possible to produce better lambs in the central 

 part of the United States than have been produced in that region 

 during the last twenty years. 



It is possible to raise choice market lambs in the dry lot, and 

 the time may come when it will be found profitable in certain regions 

 to grow them in this way. Or they may be grown on a partial dry- 

 lot basis. That is, the ewes may be kept in the dry lot and the 

 lambs let out to pasture, or vice versa (Fig. 183). 



The writer would not belittle the value of permanent pasture. 

 There are places where nothing else equals it and sheepmen living 

 in such placs are happily located. The only interest they have in 

 forage crops is to see whether they can use them to supplement 

 their pastures. 



Docking and Castrating Lambs. A necessary operation in 

 the production of lambs is docking and castrating. Owners of farm 



