SHEEP UNDER FARM CONDITIONS 167 



December are frequently fed until April, then shorn 

 before shipping. There is no definite rule by which 

 it can be determined whether this early spring 

 shearing pays or not, since ordinarily the approx- 

 imate value of the wool will be deducted from the 

 market price of the shorn lamb. There is always to 

 be considered the possibility of a sudden change in 

 the weather, which may result in severe loss in 

 case the shearing is done in extreme early spring. 



FATTENING GROWN SHEEP 



The feeding of wethers or grown ewes for mar- 

 ket is not greatly different from the method out- 

 lined in fattening lambs. Where pasture is plenti- 

 ful, lambs intended for market may be profitably 

 kept until they are yearlings or older in order to 

 secure one or two wool clips, as well as the in- 

 creased weight at marketing time. However, it 

 should be remembered that the market price per 

 pound of matured sheep is always less than that of 

 fat lambs. This class of sheep, kept upon good pas- 

 ture throughout the summer and placed in the feed 

 lot in the autumn, will usually make excellent use 

 of grain and hay given, and may be marketed dur- 

 ing the winter. The only type of sheep which re- 

 quires special feeding is the old " broken mouthed " 

 ewe. When ewes become old, especially range 

 ewes, which have often been obliged to subsist on 

 hard, dry feed, such as sage brush, their teeth break, 

 and they become unable to consume dry forage or 

 hard grain in any considerable quantities. It is 

 frequently profitable to purchase these animals from 

 the ranges where they can usually be secured very 

 cheaply, and fatten them for market, in case a 

 farmer is so situated as to have available soft feeds 



