242 



BULLETIN 309 



the most important phases of the subject of hothouse-lamb production 

 is getting the ewes to breed early. The records have been studied to see 

 if this is in any way a breed characteristic. It has been shown (Table i 

 and Plate I) that March 4 is the date when the high prices received for 



hothouse lambs during the early 

 winter begin to decline. If the 

 percentage of lambs from 

 breed slaughtered before that dat 

 is calculated and compared witl 

 the percentage slaughtered aftei 

 that date, it will throw some light 

 on the breeds that breed tl 

 earliest. 



The ewes that breed the earliest 

 From the records it is s 

 that of the total number of hot- 

 house lambs produced, 42.8 

 cent of those born from grade Dor- 

 set ewes were slaughtered befoi 

 March 4 and from the other ewe 

 in the following order: from pui 

 bred Dorsets, 34.8 per cent; fi 

 pure-bred Rambouillets , 33.3 p( 

 cent ; from pure-bred Delaines, 33.3 

 per cent; from grade Cheviots, 

 31.2 per cent; from pure-bi 

 Shropshires, 23.1 per cent; from 

 the other ewes, the highest per- 

 centage of lambs sold was 12.9 

 per cent from the grade Shroj 

 shires (Table 2). 



In order, then, from the stand- 

 point of earliness of production, 

 the breeds stand as follows: 

 Horned Dorsets, both pure-bred ] 

 and grades, Rambouillets, Delaines, grade Cheviots, and Shropshires. 

 If both pure-bred and grade Cheviots were considered together, the pure- 

 bred Cheviots would lower the average of the breed so that the Shrop- 

 shires would stand ahead of them (Table 2). The most successful hot- 

 house-lamb breeders are using Horned Dorset and fine-wooled ewes. 



FIG. 47. Carcass wrapped in burlap reedy 

 for shipment 



