WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 987 



required. When returned to the winter range the lambs are separated 

 from the ewes for the breeding season, the lambs not being bred until 

 their second year. The rams used are mostly thoroughbred Merinos, 

 at an average cost of $15 per head. Ten rams are^used for a flock of 

 1,000 ewes. These rams are put on grain feed of about 1 pounds of oats 

 per day, with all of the hay they will eat, for a period of thirty-five to 

 forty days. The rams are turned in with the ewes during the night 

 and taken out in the morning. Some owners put in a portion of the 

 rams one night and another portion another night, alternately. The 

 best informed breeders deem it still better economy to put in all the 

 rams on alternate nights only. After the breeding season, the lambs 

 which have been during that time under the care of a separate herder, 

 are put back with the ewes until the snow falls, when they are again 

 taken out for feeding. About 1 ton of hay is allowed per day as feed for 

 1,000 ewes; and a feeding season of at least twenty days is expected 

 during the winter. The winter over the lambing season begins. The 

 first preparation for that is a corral or yard tightly boarded up all round 

 a space of 100 feet square, with a shed roof extending 16 to 18 feet to- 

 ward the inside, leaving the central space open. The shed is divided 

 into compartments, each suitable for the comfort of 100 ewes, in order 

 that the flock can be drawn out in the morning with as little crowding 

 as possible, so that lambs yeaned during the night may be segregated 

 with their mothers without confusion. It is becoming a common prac- 

 tice to have an extra man during the night to take out each ewe and 

 her young, as they come, and place them in a separate pen or stall until 

 morning. Five men are deemed necessary to conduct a successful 

 lambing, at a cost of $40 per month per man, besides board, which will 

 add $5 per man. At the end of eighteen days, one man may be dis- 

 pensed with. Besides the shed, it is necessary to build eight to twelve 

 covered pens 12 feet square, at different places on the range, to shelter 

 newly dropped lambs, should the weather be wet or stormy. One extra 

 man accompanies the flock for this purpose. The lambs should be kept 

 in small flocks of 75 to 100 until at least 6 days old, and when 500 ewes 

 have lambs of that age or more, they should be moved off the lamb- 

 ing ground until the lambs have recovered from marking and castra- 

 tion. Unless the weather be very inclement, the latter operation should 

 be performed within two weeks after they are segragated from the 

 main flock. After these operations, which close the lambing season, 

 the flock may be put under one herder until shearing. The shearers 

 go in parties of from eight to twelve (ten is most common), and these 

 sometimes shear an average of 100 sheep per man per day. Seven 

 cents per head is the usual price, to which board and other necessary 

 expenses add three cents more, making a total of 10 cents per head. 

 Wool sacks and twine cost this year 53 cents per sack, which contains 

 an average of 40 fleeces. 



