SHEEP BREEDING AND FEEDING. 



BY 



J. M. JONES, A. M., ANIMAL HUSBANDMAN, BREEDING INVESTIGATIONS. 



"Which breed of sheep shall I place upon my farm?" or "Which is 

 the most profitable breed of sheep for Texas farms?" are questions of 

 much concern to the farmers of Texas who are beginning to realize the 

 important role that sheep production actually plays in the most suc- 

 cessful farm operations. Almost every tract of land in the State, 

 whether large or small, has some land in the form of pasturage which 

 is nat only failing to return any revenue to the farmers, but in a great 

 many instances is a burden on their hands. 



The feeding and breeding test reported in this bulletin was conducted 

 for the purpose of securing information that might be of some value to 

 parties interested in the breeding and feeding of sheep in Texas. 



OBJECT. 



The object of this test\was to determine which of the most common 

 mutton breeds of rams when crossed with fine-wooled ewes would pro- 

 duce the most thrifty and desirable lambs grown and fattened under 

 Texas conditions. All items of expense were to be accurately recorded 

 so that it could be determined with what degree of profitableness sheep 

 raising could be conducted. 



THE STOCK USED. 



Rams. 



The several rams used in this test with the exception of the half-blood 

 Karakule-Lincoln were registered and although good individuals they 

 were not high-priced. They were just such registered rams that the 

 ordinary progressive flockmaster would use. 



The Eambouillet. 



The Eambouillet ram used during this test was purchased from 

 Graham. & McCorquodale for $20. He was two years old at the time 

 of the purchase, and was selected from a flock numbering approximately 

 one hundred head of ordinary registered Eambouillet range rams, such 

 as are used on our western ranges. In the selection of the Eambouillet 

 ram, the point uppermost in mind was to secure an individual possess- 

 ing some scale and a good mutton conformation. This ram weighed 



