THE SHEEP INDUSTRY ON THE MINIDOKA PROJECT. 



Fig. 1.— A band of sheep grazing on the aftermath in hay and grain fields on the Minidoka Reclamation 

 Project. Range sheep are used extensively for this purpose and also to consume surplus alfalfa hay 

 produced on the irrigated lands adjacent to the range country. 



to the range under the care of a competent herder. Where a good 

 summer range is available this is a desirable arrangement, especially 

 when individual flocks include more than 100 head. It is believed, 

 however, that this practice, while important to a comparatively 

 small number of farmers, is not likely to be generally adopted. One 

 important deterrent to extensive development in this direction is 

 the lack of available range. 



There are two features in which the range sheep industry has a 

 definite relationship to the production of sheep on irrigated farms. 

 These features relate to the farm production of pure-bred rams 

 for use on the range and the use by small farmers of orphan and 

 disowned lambs from range herds. Both of these features will be 

 discussed more fully later. • 



SHEEP POPULATION OF THE MINIDOKA PROJECT. 



The number of sheep kept on farms on the Minidoka project 

 increased from 3,599 in 1911 to 21,029 in 1916. The highest number 

 in any year previous to 1916 was 19,965, in 1913. During that year 

 the prices of sheep advanced materially, and a large number of 

 farmers on the project sold out, believing that they could restock 

 their farms later at low prices. Since that time, however, the prices 

 have continued to advance, and the sheep population of the pro- 

 ject has increased but slowly. In 1916 the 21,029 sheep on the pro- 

 ject were kept on 289 farms, the average number per farm being 

 72. If from the total number the few relatively large bands which 

 are kept on the range a part of the time were eliminated, the aver- 

 age number per farm would be about 50. The farms where sheep 

 are kept are fairly evenly distributed throughout the project, although 

 there is a tendency for them to be grouped in the vicinity of lambing 



