236 MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF SHEEP 



much width of the neck above and fullness of the breast 

 below, and thickness of the flank front and rear. If fat 

 is lacking at the tailhead, it will not be found elsewhere. 

 If abundantly present at the flanks and cod, it is not likely 

 to be lacking elsewhere. That degree of fatness should 

 not be sought that will lead to the rejection of a large 

 amount of fat when trimming the carcass. 



3. The rations for fattening should be fed in approxi- 

 mate balance as a rule. In these protein foods should be 

 used with much freedom, especially with lambs, but it 

 would be easily possible to feed them so freely as to re- 

 sult in protein waste. In some instances, however, it may 

 be profitable to feed protein in excess, and in other in- 

 stances carbohydrates, because of the difference in the 

 relative value of these. 



4. The shrinkage in fat sheep and lambs in transit 

 will vary with the foods used in fattening, with the degree 

 of the finish and with the time occupied in reaching the 

 market. The more succulent the foods used in finishing, 

 the longer relatively will be the shrinkage, and ^■icc versa. 

 Well-finished sheep will usually shrink less than those of 

 lower finish. The longer the animals are in transit the 

 more, of course, will they shrink. When not more than 

 one to two days are occupied in transit, the shrinkage 

 should not l)e more than, say, four to five pounds for ani- 

 mals averaging 100 pounds live weight. In journeys on 

 the cars covering 1,000 miles approximately, shrinkage to 

 the extent of nine to 10 per cent has been reported. 



5. There is not a consensus of opinion as to the cause 

 of what is termed "sheepy flavor" in mutton, nor is it 

 easy to express in words what is meant by the term. It 

 is that flavor sometimes found in mutton which reminds 

 those who have come in contact with sheep of the pres- 

 ence of the living animal. The common opinion that it 

 is caused by careless dressing, as the wool coming in con- 

 tact with the flesh, is not tenable, as the flavor is some- 

 times found in sheep that have been carefully dressed. It 



