790 SHEEP INDUSTRY OP THE UNITED STATES 



coarse, but tliere is uo serious deterioration. Many sheepmen claim 

 that the cold and dry winters improve the staple. 



Eegarding breeding rams there exists some prejudice against the 

 highly bred, well fed, and carefully housed ones raised in the east. 

 They lack the necessary quality of constitution, and do not thrive as 

 well as the native-grown rams. The western flockmaster is partial to 

 home-raised rams, high grade or full-blood, from two years old and 

 upward, to use on his ewes. From thirty to fifty ewes are bred to 

 Spanish or French Merino rams, and from fifty to seventy-five to Shrop- 

 shire or Cotswold. The ewes are bred during the months of December 

 or January; the rams remaining with them about thirty days. 



The average per cent of lambs raised depends on the management of 

 the flock, varying according to the vigilance and skill of the attendants 

 during the lambing season. The minimum number of lambs is about 

 75 per cent, and the maximum number raised is about 00 per cent. Not- 

 withstanding the short breeding season not more than 10 per cent of 

 the ewes fail to breed. 



Sheltering and winter feeding are not regular accessories of Colorado 

 sheepmen, except when necessity demands them during severe weather. 

 In the southern part of the State little or no provision is made for 

 shelter or feed in the winter, while in the northern and eastern part 

 cheap board sheds are provided, generally open to the south or east. 

 'A great many, however, use the sod or board corral, with some sheds 

 made of poles, brush, and hay. Still others depend on the natural 

 shelter of the rough, broken country, with deep, rocky canons, or the 

 native cedar groves. 



The lands on which the sheep graze is usually Government or rail- 

 road lands. The Government lands are free, while the railroad and 

 school lands have to be leased at an annual rental of 5 cents per acre 

 or $32 per section. Some of the more valuable land costs still more. 

 Nearly every sheepman owns some land which has water on it, also the 

 home improvements, such as corrals, sheep sheds, and other conven- 

 iences necessary to the business. So the sheepmen, it can be said, both 

 own and rent land— that is, they own the water privileges and graze 

 the sheep on Government or leased land. The sheepmen feel that they 

 could not afl'ord to pay Government price in order to own sufficient 

 range, because it requires so many acres for each animal. 



The principal object of sheep-raisers has heretofore been the produc- 

 tion of wool, and that of mutton was merely incidental, but under pres- 

 ent conditions it may safely be said that both wool and mutton are of 

 almost equal importance to sheep-raisers. Mutton has been more profit- 

 able since 1888 than wool. The class of sheep that is desired by the 

 practical fiockmaster of Colorado today are sheep of good constitution 

 and heavy fleece, of good length of staple, of clean wool, and at the 

 same time large-bodied animals. About such an animal as would be 

 secured by the cross of the Shropshire buck on a high grade Merino 

 ewe is preferred. 



