202 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging. 



comparatively short and very dense fleeces. If a 

 wether handles soft at the start he will be much 

 worse at the end of the fitting period, and no soft, 

 blubbery wether can win if a capable judge is 

 making the awards. 



SHEARING WETHERS. 



Wethers for show can be sheared much later in 

 the season than breeding animals, since the length 

 of the wool does not count for much on wethers 

 in the show ring. Wethers which have been 

 sheared too early suffer a great deal on hot sum- 

 mer days and do not progress nearly so well as 

 when sheared later on, although judgment must be 

 used not to go to an extreme and let them suffer 

 from heat with their old, long coats on. A short 

 fleece tends to make them more firm and solid, 

 while a long fleece makes them seem soft. Weth- 

 ers that are brought into the show ring with com- 

 paratively short fleeces on them generally handle 

 well, and these good handlers are selected as win- 

 ners. 



AGE TO SHOW WETHERS. 



In earlier years fat wethers, at least at some 

 shows, consisted of three classes, two-year-olds, 

 yearlings, and lambs. Nowadays the two-year-old 

 class is not listed, and the writer believes that in 

 time the yearling class will also drop out of ex- 



