34 SHEEP FEEDING 



Quality not to be overlooked. Quality holds an important 

 place in the eyes of the experienced buyer. Indications of 

 desirable quality are seen in a fine clean-cut head, rather 

 small neatly set ears, fine hair about the face and on the 

 legs, small but strong bones, and, most important of all, a 

 lack of wrinkles and folds in the pelt. Many feeders use 

 this last characteristic alone in determining quality. Sheep 

 having a thick skin that hangs in folds about the neck and 

 throat latch, and an abundant coating of oily, frequently 

 dirty wool, are said to be heavy-pelted, and are invariably 

 discriminated against by killers, and hence by feeders. In 

 the late winter or early spring, however, feeders who are 

 looking for sheep that can be clipped and short-fed prefer 

 these heavy-pelted fellows, because they are good shearers, 

 and the wool can be bought for from five to seven cents a 

 pound on the sheep and sold for from twenty to thirty cents 

 off ; hence the discrimination made by the packers is gener- 

 ally well balanced. Packing-house buyers make their pur- 

 chases on mutton qualities alone, and they know that a 

 heavy-pelted sheep is a poorer dresser than one that is 

 light- or thin-pelted ; hence a lower bid is placed upon him. 



Form not of greatest importance. Form is discriminated 

 against only when it reaches undesirable extremes. Perhaps 

 the two most common instances of undesirable form in feed- 

 ing sheep are seen in undue legginess and a heavy paunch. 

 Either of these might make undesirable a feeder that was 

 otherwise satisfactory. A desirable form is one that is 

 well balanced, fairly compact, and low down, broad rather 

 than long, and deep and well rounded, showing especially 

 well-developed hind quarters. The Mexican sheep have 

 what many would call undesirable form, but they possess 

 extremely good quality, very good balance, and are high 



