with the statement that the best native outclasses the best western, 

 it suggests that the producers of natives are either handicapped by 

 difficulties which they cannot control or are open to criticism in 

 their methods. 



FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN HANDLING SHEEP AND LAMBS INTENDED 



FOR MARKET 



Before proceeding further with this discussion, it is well to con- 

 sider a number of distinctly market requirements which producers 

 of sheep and lambs should constantly bear in mind. Offerings, to 

 sell to best advantage, should be as uniform as possible. A few 

 under-finished lambs scattered in with a band of fat ones gives the 

 buyer an opportunity to discriminate against the condition of the 

 whole band more than the lack of finish of these few would justify. 

 With respect to general quality the same is true. Unevenness in 

 size works against values by making the selection of weights de- 

 sired by the buyer more difficult. Variations in markings and wool 

 lessen uniformity in general appearance and emphasize small dif- 

 ferences in quality, condition and weight. Therefore producers 

 should attempt to handle and market their sheep and lambs so that 

 they will be uniform in quality, condition, weight and general ap- 

 pearance. 



In this, western sheepmen have several distinct advantages over 

 producers of natives. First of all, the average western producer 

 makes sheep growing his chief business. Because his shipments are 

 large he usually follows his offerings to the open market and be- 

 comes fully acquainted with its requirements. He handles large 

 numbers which allows him to grade his consignment with a view to 

 securing uniformity in his offerings. Conditions on any particular 

 range make it necessary that the lambing period be short, and hence 

 the lambs are uniform in age and fairly uniform in size. Western 

 lambs too low in condition to come within the higher grades for 

 the meat trade sell well as feeders because they are healthy. 



Infection with parasitic diseases is much more common in na- 

 tive than in western flocks, and this is the one great difficulty that 

 does much toward putting native lambs on unequal terms with 

 western lambs. When sheep or lambs are seriously infected with 

 internal parasites, it is almost impossible to fatten them and hence 

 they are unsuitable as feeders, and the only outlet there is for them 

 is to place them on the market as an inferior product for the meat 

 trade. Whether the common occurrence of internal parasites in 

 native flocks may be traceable in part to faulty methods of flock 



