8 WISCONSIN BULLETIN 263 



How TO ESTABLISH A FLOCK OF SHEEP 



If the settler intends to engage in sheep raising for the 

 mutton and for wool production, a good start can be made 

 with inexpensive females. The offspring can be improved 

 rapidly by the use of a pure bred sire. In the fall young breed- 

 ing ewes of the Merino type from the western ranches can 

 be purchased on the market for from $5 to $8 a head. These 



can 

 in t 



Where a good sire is used on the most common females, wonderful improvements 

 n be made. A good sire is half of the flock. This ram is the sire of the lambs shown 



ewes are very hardy and should be mated to a pure bred 

 ram of one of the leading mutton breeds. This gives a cheap 

 and also a profitable start. Western ewes are generally good 

 mothers and producers. 



BE SURE TO HAVE A PURE BRED RAM 



The old saying that "the ram -is half the flock" is true. No 

 inferior ram ever helped in the improvement and upbuilding 

 of a flock. When scrub rams are used the flock always de- 

 generates. Flockowners should use only good rams, since 



