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sion may be made because the feeder is not obliged to market all of 

 his lambs at the same time, and he has the opportunity of making 

 uniform shipments by sorting over his lambs and holding those that 

 are not finished. But even the big feeder cannot deal with a great 

 amount of unevenness in quality, condition and weight without 

 suffering inconvenience in handling them during the feeding period 

 Should he select lambs that are very uneven in their general quality 

 it would be difficult for him to make uniform shipments, because 

 this is a fault that feeding does not rectify except in slight degree. 



The most suitable type of feeder lambs varies somewhat with 

 the length of time they are to be fed and the method of feeding to 

 be followed. In Illinois many lambs are run in the fields and never 

 shedded during the feeding period. This method calls for a strong, 

 rugged lamb with a compact and comparatively heavy fleece to 

 protect it from variations in the weather. If shedding is practiced, 

 the more delicate lambs with less wool may be handled with profit ; 

 for example, Mexican lambs would be unsuitable for feeding out 

 of doors in the state of Illinois where the climate is variable, but 

 under shelter they would be very satisfactory. 



If the purchaser desires to finish his lambs in a short period of 

 from 70 to 90 days, he would better select large lambs weighing be- 

 tween 60 and 70 pounds and in, higher condition than the average 

 run of feeder lambs. As a rule lambs of this description are in the 

 feeder class only because they have lost in flesh and fat by long de- 

 lay at the point of shipment from the range, or on the road by poor 

 train service. They are strong and thrifty and can take the heavy 

 feeding necessary to finish them in a short period. When a long feed- 

 ing period is practiced, the large lamb in rather high condition is 

 not so desirable because such a lamb is likely to become too heavy 

 to suit the demands of the market. This so-called long feeding 

 period does not involve a long period of feeding directly with a view 

 to preparing the lambs for the market, but it is more like a combi- 

 nation of stocking the lambs for a time and later feeding to finish 

 them. They are usually held from six to nine months and shorn 

 before they are marketed. Hence the heavy fleeced lamb in medium 

 feeder flesh and weighing about 55 pounds is preferred. It is neces- 

 sary that these lambs have enough mutton blood to give them desir- 

 able form and quality, but if they are of pronounced mutton type 

 they are likely to get too heavy for the demands of the meat trade 

 before they are finished. Where shearing before marketing is prac- 

 ticed, a great deal of care should be exercised in selecting lambs that 

 will shear large fleeces of good quality. The kind of fleece that 

 usually gives best results is one that is tlense, compact and of good 



