tion and the use of Leicester blood. The breed is even larger and 

 more rugged of frame than the Cotswold. The head is somewhat 

 coarser, the back broader and the bone heavier than that of the Cots- 

 wold. Likewise the fleece is longer, not infrequently reaching 15 to 

 18 inches in length, and the fiber is coarser. The rams occasionally 

 weigh 400 pounds and the ewes 300. The extreme weights are often 

 accompanied by coarseness. The average is 300 pounds for mature 

 rams and 250 to 275 for mature ewes. Ram fleeces run 16 to 22 

 pounds and the ewes fleeces 12 to 15. This breed lacks the spirals hang- 

 ing from the forehead, but has a tuft in their place. 



Lincolns bring weight and substance and ruggedness to a flock, 

 and are especially well adapted to the farm where plenty of feed is 

 available. They were developed as a breed on some of the richest and 

 best farming land in England. They also bring increased weight of 

 fleece and length of staple. The annual increase from average ewes 

 is 125 per cent to 135 per cent. 



Both Cotswolds and Lincolns are later in maturing than the 

 .downs. Both, however, are very popular with Idaho sheepmen and 

 have been of great value in giving size, substance and length and 

 weight of fleece to range flocks. Both breeds do well on the farm, 

 the Lincoln excelling in size and weight and length of fleece and 

 Cotswolds standing first as mothers and in quality of fleece. 



FLOCK MANAGEMENT 



Iff SUMMER 



Mid or late summer is a good time to look out for ewes for start- 

 ing a flock. Sheepmen at this time begin to plan for the fall and 

 winter and decide what portion of the flock they can let go. Unthrifty 

 ewes have as a rule not recovered from the effects of the previous 

 winter and barren ewes can at this time be distinguished from those 

 that have borne and are suckling lambs. 



The keep of the flock in summer is a light charge. They need 

 pasture, enough of it to keep them in thrifty condition, and if suckling 

 lambs, to keep them milking well. Pasture may be provided in waste 

 places as suggested in the early pages of this bulletin. It may be a 

 regular pasture of the common grasses or may be special sowed 

 crops. Rye, peas and oats, rape and kale are examples of forages 

 that can be sowed especially for sheep and made to yield through them 

 excellent returns. Sheep make good use of rough feed and poor pas- 

 tures. In this respect sheep may be easily abused. Some men's inter- 

 pretation of "forcing the flock to rustle" is akin to starvation. When 

 grass is available no other feed is needed or advisable, even when 



