398 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



lambs, those appearing unthrifty, entire males, those large enough to 

 be suspiciously near the short yearling age, and frequently black 

 lambs, make up the rejections. Black lambs are not always rejected, 

 but a number of Ohio and Michigan feeders object to them because 

 they make the band of lambs less uniform in appearance. 



Throw-outs sell late when most of the sales for the day have 

 been affected. There are but few of them and these few are not 

 uniform in weight and condition. They are never fat enough to 

 be turned into other than a cheap grade of mutton. All these sur- 

 rounding circumstances make them the quest of small city butchers 

 who cater to a cheap trade. Throw-outs are often called "rejects," 

 but they are never known as culls or by any of the terms which 

 denominate the grades under the regular classification. Sometimes 

 they sell on a basis of cull lamb prices; at other times, upon that 

 for medium lambs. 



Dead Sheep. These are sheep that meet with death in transit. 

 Losses are greatest in warm weather when deaths are frequent if 

 close crowding in the car is practiced. Native shippers often experi- 

 ence a loss of sheep in transit by making them part of a mixed load 

 with either swine or cattle. They usually try to guard against such 

 losses by partitioning ihe sheep off to themselves, but the bumping 

 of the car in switching often breaks down the partition by throwing 

 the animals against it. 



Dead sheep have a value chiefly for their wool. The best are 

 worth twenty-five cents per head. It is claimed that fifty per cent 

 of them are worthless on account of the wool being mangled and 

 trampled off. 



Goats. Goats are sold for slaughter provided they are in good 

 condition, but they do not sell on a par with sheep. Only a few are 

 sold on the Chicago market, and hence they are not graded. If 

 they are too thin in condition to sell for slaughter, they are sold 

 to go to the country to browse over brush lands. This demand is 

 very uncertain, and offerings for this purpose are frequently held 

 for several days before they can be sold. (111. B. 129.) 



Judging Fat Sheep. It is the ultimate aim of all breeders of 

 mutton sheep to produce that type best suited to fill the demands of 

 the butcher. The main feature demanded in a sheep by dealers in 

 high-class mutton are, proper age and weight, form, condition, and 

 quality. Each of these features will now be taken up separately and 

 discussed. These discussions will aim to give instructions on (a) 

 what constitutes the ideal; (b) how to examine the parts to deter- 

 mine how nearly they approach the ideal; and (c) some of the more 

 common faults or defects that are often present and should be dis- 

 counted in determining the true merit of the individual. Therefore, 

 we will first take up a detailed description of that type and in con- 

 nection with this give directions as to the best method of examina- 

 tion to secure a definite idea whether or not the animal fulfills all the 

 requirement of the fat sheep as indicated in the butcher's or market's 

 ideal. This ideal is represented in the score card. 



