management cannot be definitely answered in this discussion, be- 

 cause practical methods for preventing infestation have not yet 

 been worked out. Ho\vever, sheepmen believe that in time this 

 difficulty will be largely overcome where careful methods are fol- 

 lowed. 



But aside from such difficulties as parasitic diseases, growers 

 of lambs, as intimated above, cannot expect to produce a prime 

 product regularly unless they are careful in their methods of breed- 

 ing, shepherding, and marketing. Along some one or more of these 

 lines the average grower of natives is criticised by the market. In 

 the selection of breeding stock, sufficient care is not taken to select 

 rugged, healthy ewes that give promise of producing and properly 

 suckling vigorous lambs. Sufficient care is not exercised in weed- 

 ing out of the flock ewes that breed irregularly and by so doing 

 lessen the uniformity in size of the lamb crop. Too often ewe 

 lambs born late and after the regular lambing season is over are 

 retained for breeding ewes because they are not large enough to 

 market when the lambs born in season are sold. These develop 

 into ewes that are usually under size and late breeders, and hence 

 should not be in the breeding ewe flock. The average grower of 

 natives is inclined to pay too little attention to the ram he selects. 

 The grade ram is retained in many instances and it is common to 

 see, at the head of flocks, rams that are not of the approved market 

 type. 



Altho producers of native lambs are often criticised by the 

 market for not selecting the right kind of parent stock, they are 

 more often criticised in their methods of shepherding and market- 

 ing. In the estimation of the market they are indifferent to the 

 need of having their lambs fat before sending them to market. 

 The following observations may suggest why the above is true. 

 Many owners of small flocks keep their sheep chiefly to destroy 

 weeds and to utilize what otherwise would be considered waste. 

 Since they handle only a few sheep, they feel it is not worth the 

 effort to make their lambs fat before marketing. Not infrequently 

 owners of a comparatively small number of lambs are unable to 

 determine whether they are in suitable market condition. They are 

 able to distinguish between the fat and the noticeably thin lamb, 

 but not between the fat lamb and the one in medium flesh. Their 

 difficulty arises from the fact that they judge condition by the ex- 

 ternal appearance of the lamb. Often lambs in medium flesh appear 

 to be fat because the wool conceals their lack of finish. The only 

 safe guide in determining condition is to place the hand on the ani- 



