MILK LAMBS: HOW TO GET, GROW AND MARKET 243 



Food plays an important part in hastening or retard- 

 ing change in the breeding habit. When the ewes that 

 have produced early lambs are well sustained with nour- 

 ishing and succulent food during the nursing period, they 

 will frequently mate soon after the lambs have been 

 weaned ; hence after the change in the breeding habit has 

 been established, the ewes will sometimes mate so as to 

 produce lambs earlier than is desirable if allowed to do so. 

 When the lambs are sold several weeks before the time 

 for grazing begins, the ewes will mate more readily be- 

 fore being turned out to graze than for some time sub- 

 sequently, owing probably to the temporary reduction in 

 flesh which usually follows the beginning of the grazing 

 period. To insure mating sufficiently early, the grazing 

 should be nutritious, and along with it some supplemental 

 grain may be helpful in securing sufficiently early breeding. 



Experience in Minnesota To throw light upon this 

 question, the author instigated a series of experiments at 

 the Minnesota station several years ago. The ewes 

 selected for the purpose were of the commonest types 

 that could be secured. A considerable proportion were 

 ewes from the range, such as are exposed for sale from 

 time to time in the stockyards. The blood elements pos- 

 sessed by them were various. Judging by the indications, 

 the blood elements of the Southdown, Shropshire, Oxford 

 Down and Cotswold breeds were more or less present, 

 and the evidences of Merino blood were pronounced in 

 nearly all of them. In some instances they carried folds 

 and even wrinkles. 



The males used were pure Dorsets possessed of good 

 mutton form. In some instances the sire was used on his 

 own progeny, but this was not generally practiced. Later 

 when the breeding habit had been modified so that the 

 ewes could be expected to produce lambs at the required 

 season, pure males of the dark-faced breeds were used in 

 service to a limited extent, especially those of the South- 

 down breed. 



