FLUSHING TO INCREASE LAMB YIELDS. 



11 



have a greater rate of loss in twin lambs than older ewes. In most 

 flocks, if not all, containing the ordinary proportion of ewes of vary- 

 ing ages, the mark can well be set at 150 per cent of lambs in working 

 for the greatest net returns. 



Possible disadvantages in twin lambs must come from one or all of 

 three causes: (1) Greater rate of loss among twins; (2) slower rate 

 of growth as lambs.; or (3) inability to reach the same size, weight, 

 and breeding value as single lambs. 



As regards the rate of loss, the experience of the Bureau of Animal 

 Industry shows no greater losses among twins. In the lambing 

 seasons of 1916 to 1920, inclusive, in the two flocks of Southdowns 

 used in the experiments a total of 224 single lambs and 290 twin 

 lambs was born. Of these 14.3 per cent of the single-born lambs 

 died before reaching the age of 2 weeks, and 13.4 per cent of the 

 twins. 



COMPARATIVE WEIGHTS OF SINGLE AND TWIN LAMBS. 



Comparative weights of twins and single lambs at six months old 

 show that the milk received by the lambs is more important in in- 

 fluencing growth than is birth as a single or twin. 



Records of 184 lambs dropped through three different years are 

 grouped to show weights attained by both sexes and by single lambs, 

 twin lambs, and lambs born as twins but having all of one ewe's 

 milk (twins raised as singles) . The weights of the ram lambs include 

 3 or 4 wethers. 



Table 6. — -Weights of 6-months-old twin and single lambs. 





Singles. 



Twins. 



Twins raised as singles. 



Kind. 



Number. 



Average 

 weight. 



Number. 



Average 

 weight. 



Number. 



Average 

 weight. 





32 



46 



Pounds. 

 85.4 

 73.8 



45 

 37 



Pounds. 

 81.6 

 67.6 



9 

 15 



Pounds. 

 82.7 





78.3 









78 



78.6 



82 



-75.3 



24 



79.9 







The twin-born ewe lambs averaged 6 pounds lighter at six months 

 than those born singles, while in the case of ram lambs the difference 

 was 4 pounds. In the smaller groups of twin lambs raised as sin- 

 gles the ewes made an especially good growth, averaging more than 

 the single lambs. 



