SnEEP-EEAEING.] 



SHEEP, 



[sheep- HE AEING. 



course adopted in breeding is, to take one 

 of the owner's ewes, and buy it, or put it 

 to the ram of another breeder. Before doing 

 this, two selections have usually been raade by 

 the breeder ; first, those ewes which are so fa- 

 vourable to the object he has in view, are drafted 

 from his flock ; after which his best gimmers are 

 selected from the flock of the preceding year ; 

 he next chooses a ram of the same breed, suit- 

 able to their condition, and possessed of such 

 characteristics as he wishes to be reproduced 

 in his stock. The ram should be thoroughly 

 bred ; and unless it be one of his own, with the 

 qualities of which he is perfectly acquainted, 

 it should have been tried at least one year on 

 a small number of ewes of a good sort, in 

 order to test his excellence. This is com- 

 mended as safe-breeding ; but if uniformity of 

 flock, and purity of blood, are the objects de- 

 sired to be obtained, the surest way to get 

 them, is by adopting the best means. It 

 must always be borne in mind, that the im- 

 provement of a flock, by means of breeding, 

 requires not only very great caution, but long- 

 continued attention and care. 



In breeding, the qualities of both parents 

 must be considered, equally with a view of eradi- 

 cating the bad, as well as perpetuating the good 

 qualities. Speaking on this subject, Professor 

 Spoouer, in his treatise on the sheep, remarks, 

 that it must be acknowledged, that in the ma- 

 jority of cases, the influence of the male pre- 

 ponderates over that of the female, and the 

 characteristics of the former are more likelv 

 to be impressed on the offspring than those 

 of the latter. This, he says, is shown in most 

 animals ; and instances several cases. " The 

 mule," he says, " partakes much more of the 

 nature and size of its sire, the ass, than its 

 dam, the mare. A large Cotswold ram, put 

 to a Down ewe, produces an offspring much 

 more resembling the former than the latter ; 

 and a pony mare, put to a full-sized horse, will 

 produce an animal half as large again as the 

 dam. Though this, however, appears to be 

 Nature's rule, it is not without exception ; for, 

 occasionally, we see the very opposi'^te results. 

 In breeding animals of a pure kind, the prin- 

 cipal rule to be observed, is to breed from the 

 very best of both sexes, and cull the faulty ones 

 every year, saving only the female lambs for 

 the future flock that are as free Irom defects 

 730 



as possible. Of course the flock must be kept 

 up to its proper size ; but, year by year, the 

 finest animals should be selected, until, in the 

 course of time, the flock will entirely consist ot 

 them. When tliis is nearly accomplished, it 

 will not be prudent for a farmer to employ his 

 own tups for the purpose, as he will probably be 

 able to hire superior rams from others ; and it 

 will not do to spare expense in thus rais- 

 ing the character of his sheep.' "When a dif- 

 ference occurs in the general outline of a flock, 

 it is to be corrected by the breeder acting on 

 the flock itself, by regularly drafting oft' the 

 failing ewes, and breeding from the com- 

 mon size. This is said to have a very favour- 

 able influence on the breed — much greater 

 than that of the dam ; for, while she can only 

 influence two animals, the ram exercises hia 

 power, in a greater or less degree, over the 

 whole of the produce. The leading features to 

 be attended to in a ram, are, fineness of skin, 

 light offals, broad, deep, and round frame, and 

 the absence of superfluous coarse wool. The 

 back should be broad, especially near the 

 shoulders, and well covered with solid, but 

 yielding, and slightly elastic flesh ; though it is 

 sometimes said, that an animal on which it is 

 possible to get a full fat development, is one to 

 be selected, on the ground that, in a bad one, 

 this is impossible. As adipose matter, how- 

 ever, is necessarily laid on muscle, it is obvious 

 that where there is plenty of muscle, there also 

 fat may be expected. A deep chest, broad at 

 the base, is very essential ; for this is indicative 

 of xoeiglit. For successful feeding this must be 

 thoroughly capacious. The sheep should walk 

 wide on both legs, keeping them at a distance 

 of at least six inches parallel to each other. 

 The head should be fine, not flat, and rather 

 broad. The eyes very full and prominent, ex- 

 hibiting, on the whole, an expression of quiet 

 liveliness. The ears small ; and the bare parts — 

 the face, ears, and legs — must have a clothing 

 of fine hair or wool. 



The colour, which varies according to the 

 breeds, is of great consequence. A departure 

 from white in the Cheviot, would be as great 

 a lailing as black in the Highland or the Heath 

 sheep ; brown in the Southdown, or blue in 

 the Leicester. Mr. Milburn thinks that the 

 colour of the face of a Leicester is of far more 

 consequence, in a fattening point of view, thaa 



