"speculative proposition" due to the high- cost of "feeders," and should 

 be practiced on a sufficiently large scale to require at least a carload of 

 sheep in order to save on freight and commissions. "Western" sheep 

 . are more desirable for this method than "native" sheep (raised east of 

 the Mississippi River), because they are more uniform in type, breed- 

 ing and quality, and are freer from disease. 



R Establishing the Flock. 



Fifteen to twenty-five ewes is a sufficient number for any one 

 hout experience to undertake as a nucleus of a farm flock. A farm 

 k should consist of twenty-five or more sheep. A large flock of fifty 

 _. es makes it possible to invest in a good purebred ram and to use 

 him to his capacity, and also provides a unit number for labor and 

 equipment. 



After the type and breed have been decided upon, the individual 

 breeding animals must be selected. This is important, since within 

 a breed there is variation in type, vigor, quality, form, resistance to 

 disease, wool, breeding ability, milking tendencies, disposition and 

 grazing ability. 



The ram is the most important breeding animal in the flock since 

 he contributes fifty per cent., at least, to each crop of lambs, and often 

 more. If he is a purebred and a good ram he will be more pre- 

 potent than the females of the flock. Even in a small flock of sheep, 

 where the object is to sell the surplus as mutton, a purebred ram is 

 essential for the greatest profit. The Wisconsin 23 and Missouri 24 

 Experiment Stations have, on investigation, shown that purebred mut- 

 ton rams sire lambs that make greater gains, reach a higher condition 

 of flesh at less cost in amount of feed consumed, and command a high- 

 er market price than lambs sired by a "scrub" ram. To begin w r ith, 

 one or two purebred ewes should be added with the females of a grade 

 flock. By a gradual building up of a purebred flock the breeder will 

 ibe able to handle such flock, after having gained the necessary ex- 

 perience on the cheaper grade ewes. Another inducement in gradual- 

 ly working into a purebred flock is the extra profit derived from the 

 raising stock of beauty and merit. 



Selection of Ram. 



The ram should conform to the standard which the breader has 

 in mind as the ultimate attainment of his entire flock. The ram should 



- 3 Kleinheinz' "Sheep Management," page 5. 

 24 Missouri Circular No. 65. 



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