SHEEP 



583 



should be strong, wide and well meated 

 from shoulder point to tail, the hind- 

 quarters should be full and well let 

 down in the leg and flank in order to 

 yield well of high-priced meat. The legs 

 should be placed wide apart and stand 

 straight; sickle-shaped hocks and weak, 

 sloping pasterns afford sufficient reason 

 for condemning an otherwise good 

 sheep." 



He should have a good, compact fleece 

 and be well wooled all over. One buck 

 is required for every 30 to 50 ewes. The 



flock only at night when they are herded 

 in the sheep fold. 



At the Wisconsin station, ewes bred 

 early in the mating season to a single 

 ram, dropped a larger percentage of 

 lambs than when bred near the end of 

 the season. When a yearling lamb was 

 used at that station, the average increase 

 in six years was 150 per cent. When 

 two-year and three-year-old rams were 

 used the average increase of lambs was 

 180 per cent. It is commonly held by 

 sheepmen that a well grown, vigorous 



Pig. 370— YEARLING LINCOLN RAM 

 (Courtesy of J. T. Gibson) 



amount of service required of the ram 

 in breeding was found by the Wisconsin 

 station to have a marked influence on 

 the percentage increase in offspring, 

 thus, the first 10 ewes bred gave an 

 average increase in lambs of 171 per 

 cent, while the fourth 10 bred gave an 

 average increase of only 140 per cent, 

 or a decrease of more than 30 per cent. 

 As to the management of the buck, he 

 is sometimes turned in with the flock 

 at the breeding season and allowed to 

 run with them day and night. The 

 more careful breeders, however, keep the 

 buck penned up and let him run with the 



yearling lamb is at its best as a sire. 

 These data do not bear out that opin- 

 ion, and they further show that in vigor 

 the sire has an apparent influence on 

 the percentage increase. 



During the breeding season the buck 

 should have a pasture by himself and be 

 fed in addition a grain ration of peas, 

 oats, bran, etc. If he is kept up without 

 pasture, he should have chaffed alfalfa 

 or clover hay, and be given roots or si- 

 lage and plenty of daily exercise. The 

 latter is especially important and is best 

 obtained by the pasturing method. It 

 is not desired that either buck or ewe 



