

LIVE-STOCK 127 



Patna in Bengal is noted for a breed of woolly sheep of 

 good size and form and yielding very good mutton. Some 

 rams of this breed were imported in the Government Farm, 

 Saidapet, and they throve remarkably well and stood the hot 

 weather much better than the Nellore, which were present in 

 the ilock at the time. 



Names of Sheep. 

 Male, 



\ 



Until weaned, suckling. After weaning until a year old, 

 ram lamb ; if castrated, a wether. Afterwards, a two-year 

 ram or wether, a three-year ram or wether and then an aged 

 ram or wether. 



In the case of woolly sheep, the ram lamb when shorn at 

 the end of the first year becomes a shearling, then a two-shear 

 ram, then a three-shear ram and then aged. 



Female. 



Until weaned, suckling. Until a year old, ewe lamb. 

 After a year old until it drops a lamb, a gimmer ; if in lamb, 

 gimmer in lamb, if not, barren gimmer, if not put to the 

 ram, a yeld gimmer. After a gimmer has lambed, she is 

 called an ewe, two-year, three-year, aged. 



Iu the case of woolly sheep, the terms used are the same 

 as those for rams, namely shearling ewe, two-shear ewe, 

 three-shear ewe, aged ewe. 



Breeding and Rearing. 



Sheep are bred in India for mutton alone or for mutton 

 and wool. The wool should be fine and long and free from 

 hair. The ewes kept for breeding should be carefully 

 Selected. They should have a good conformation and, in the 

 ;case of woolly sheep, a good fleece, especially over the belly. 

 -They should be between 1 and 3 years old. Old and ill- 

 formed and defective animals should be weeded out from 

 the flock. One ram will suffice for 50 ewes. The breeding 

 rams are allowed to run with the ewes always. Under these 

 conditions, all over Southern India, generally, the ewes take 

 the ram from February to March and the lambs are dropped 

 from July to August. The average period of gestation in 



