654 



SHEEP INDUSTRY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The Horned Dorsets were introduced into the State about 1887, and 

 much is expected of them as they are peculiarly adapted to the climate 

 and are very prolific, two lambs at one birth being general and triplets 

 not uncommon. Lambs six to eight weeks old weigh from 60 to 75 

 pounds. Mrs. Theodore L. Hacker, of Cottage Grove, Wis., stated in a 

 paper read before the State Agricultural Society in 1890 that she had a 

 six-months' old Dorset lamb that weighed 100 pounds, and that the lambs 

 from the Downs and Merino ewes presented a remarkable likeness to 

 the sire, a fine 2-year old Dorset ram. 



The most popular English sheep in Wisconsin at the present writing 

 are the Shropshires, and they are increasing with great rapidity. The 

 grasses and pasturage for which the State is famous agree with them 

 and hasten their development. Many breeders are handling them and 

 selling rams to cross on Merino ewes. The product in early lambs and 

 good mutton is remunerative, and there is a tendency among the small 

 farmers throughout the State to adopt the Shropshire as the sheep of 

 the future, or more correctly speaking a Shropshire ram to cross on 

 common or grade Merino ewes. 



The comparative weights of some Wisconsin-bred sheep are shown in a 

 communication of George McKerrow to the Breeders' Gazette. The 

 sheep were weighed August 29, 1889. The Oxfords weighed as fol- 

 lows: Two rams, 2 years old, averaged 303 J pounds each; 4 yearling 

 rams averaged 203 pounds each; 4 aged ewes averaged 215 pounds 

 each; 5 yearling ewes 177 pounds; and 8 March and April lambs 

 118 pounds each. The Shropshires averaged as follows: One yearling 

 ram 190 pounds; 2 yearling ewes 176 pounds each; and 4 March lambs 

 lOOf pounds each. Southdowns : Two 2-year-old rams averaged 206 

 pounds each; three yearling rams 153 J pounds each; 2 aged ewes 150 

 pounds each; 4 yearling ewes 134^ pounds; and the March lambs lOlJ 

 pounds. The heaviest yearling of each breed weighed as follows: 

 Oxfords, 230 pounds; Shropshires, 190 pounds; and Southdowns, 161 

 pounds. The heaviest lambs were: Oxford, 125 pounds;' Shropshire, 

 113; and Southdowns, 110 pounds. The ewes over 2 years old had all 

 raised lambs but two. The lambs were not fleshy, but the older sheep 

 were in good condition. 



The following table shows the number of sheep, pounds of wool, and 

 average of wool per head in Wisconsin from 1840 to 1890: 



Year. 



1840 

 1850 

 1860 

 1870 

 1880 

 1890 



Number of 

 sheep. 



3,463 



124, 896 



1)32, 954 



1, 069, 282 



1, 338, 807 



809, 000 



Wool. 



Fovnds. 

 6,777 

 253, 963 

 1,011 933 

 4,090,670 

 7, 010, 491 

 4, 741, 532 



Average 

 per head. 



PouncU. 

 1.95 

 2.03 

 3.03 

 8.82 

 5.25 

 5.86 



