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!• A R M E R S ' REGIS T E 11 . 



[No. 4. 



On the Breeding and Management of Sheep. 



Before Ave proceed to discuss this branch of ru- 

 ral economy, it will be necessary to state the names 

 or terms by which these animals are generally 

 known at different ages; though even these vary 

 in different counties. 



From the time of weaning to the first shearing, 

 the males are denominated hogs, hoggets, or hog- 

 gerels, alter which they receive the appellation of 

 shearing, shearling, shearhog, or diamond tups, or 

 rams; after they are called two, three, or four shear, 

 according to the number of times they have been 

 shorn. 



When male sheep have been castrated, they 

 are termed, from the period of weaning to that of 

 shearing, wether or wedder hogs, then shearings, 

 shearlings, &c; or they are afterwards denomina- 

 ted two-tooth, then three, or four-tooth wethers, and 

 finally, full-mouthed. 



The females have the appellations respectively 

 following: — from the time of weaning to the first 

 shearing they are termed ewe or gimmer hogs; they 

 then take, the name of gimmers or theaves, which 

 continues only ibr one year, after which they are 

 invariably denominated two, three, or four shear 

 ewes; and, when old, they are termed crones. 



Sheep, in general, renew their first two teeth 

 from fourteen to sixteen months old, and after- 

 wards every year, about the same time, until they 

 are turned three years old, or rather three shear, to 

 speak technically, when they become full-mouthed; 

 ibr, though they have eight teeth in the under jaw 

 before, it is believed they only cast or renew the 

 six inside ones. But, with regard to this point, 

 there is a difference of opinion among experienced 

 shepherds, some of whom conceive that they cast, 

 only six, while others think they renew the whole 

 eight fore- teeth. 



With respect to the selection of sheep, as an ar- 

 ticle of live stock, the same principal of symmetry 

 of form, and other requisites to the formation of a 

 good breed of black cattle, which have been al- 

 ready specified, are equally applicable. The 

 breeder, or grazier, should also carefully examine 

 the nature of his land; and having attentively 

 weighed its relative degrees of fertility, and his 

 various sources for supplying food, he may then 

 proceed to purchase that breed, which, after ma- 

 ture consideration, he has reason to believe is best 

 calculated for him. In this point, the introducto- 

 ry view of breeds and varieties, already reierred 

 to, will probably afford some guide; but there are. 

 some additional hints, to which we would call his 

 attention. In the first place, therefore, he should 

 take care not to suffer himself to be led into need- 

 less expense, in purchasing fashionable breeds, by 

 which his affairs might become involved, and his 

 exertions in other objects be rendered nugatory; 

 though he should be scrupulously attentive to pro- 

 cure the best blood of that particular breed on 

 which he may fix. Secondly, the difference of 

 the land, whence the sheep are to be purchased, 

 ought to be attentively weighed; for with sheep, 

 as with cattle stock, if any breed be brought from 

 a rich to an inferior soil, it must necessarily de- 

 crease in value and condition. Not only, there- 

 fore, must sheep be suited to the pasture, but they 

 should also be purchased, if possible, from poorer 

 land than that of the intended proprietor, Ibr on 



attention to this last point depends their immedi- 

 ate thriving. 



Having thus noticed the general objects in se- 

 lecting sheep, we now proceed to state some par- 

 ticular points that will demand the breeder's atten- 

 tion; and, as in all cattle the male has the greatest 

 influence, we shall speciiy those requisites which 

 are essential to a good ram. 



"His head should be fine and small; his nos- 

 trils wide and expanded; his eyes prominent, and 

 rather bold and daring; ears thin; his collar full from 

 his breast and shoulders, but tapering gradually all 

 the way to where the neck and head join, which 

 should be. very fine and graceful, being pefectly 

 free from any coarse leather hanging down; the 

 shoulders broad and full, which must at the same 

 time join so easy to the collar forward, and chine 

 backward, as to leave not the least hollow in either 

 place; the mutton upon his arm, or fore-thigh, 

 must come quite to the knee; his legs upright, with 

 a clean, fine bone, being equally clear from super- 

 fluous skin, and coarse hairy wool, from the knee 

 and hough downwards; the breast broad and well 

 forward, which will keep his fore-legs at a proper 

 wideness; his girth, or chest, full and deep, and, 

 instead of a hollow behind the shoulders, that part, 

 by some called the fore-ffank, should be quite full, 

 the back and loins broad, flat, and straight, from 

 which the ribs must rise with a fine circular arch; 

 his belly straight; the quarters long and full, with 

 the mutton quite down to the hough, which should 

 neither stand in nor out; his twist (i. e. the junc- 

 tion of the inside of the thighs) deep, wide, and 

 full, which, with the broad breast, will keep his 

 (bur legs open and upright; the whole body cover- 

 ed With a thin pelt; and that with fine, bright, soft 

 wool."* 



Such is the description of the animal recom- 

 mended by Mr. Culley, who observes, that the 

 nearer any breed of sheep comes up to it, the 

 nearer they approach towards excellence of form; 

 and there is little doubt, but it the same attention 

 and pains were taken to improve any particular 

 kind, which have been bestowed on the Dishley 

 breed, the same beneficial consequence would be 

 obtained. It should, however, be remembered, 

 that symmetry consists in that shape which is best 

 suited to the soil on which the animal is to be bred; 

 and thus that winch may be thought perfect in a 

 Leicester sheep may be found inferior in a South 

 Down or a Cheviot. 



In addition to the symmetry and other requi- 

 sites above specified, the pelt, or coat, should also 

 be attentively investigated, lest it be stitchy haired, 

 in which case the wool will be so materially dam- 

 aged, in the course of two years, that the injury 

 cannot be remedied for a long period, unless the 

 whole flock be changed. But the fineness of wool 

 is not the only criterion by which it should be 

 judged even in the short wooled breeds: the staple 

 is also of the greatest importance; though on that 

 material point — on which the substance and wear 

 of the cloth so much depends — it may, however, 

 be observed that the, now fashionable, Saxon wool 

 is far inferior to the fine Spanish growths of Lcon- 

 esa and Segovia. 



Ewes generally breed at the age of fifteen or 

 eighteen months, though many experienced breed- 

 ers never admit the ram till they are two years 



Culley on Live Stock, pp. 103, 104. 



