28o MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF SHEEP 



cessful breeding cannot be questioned. Even though be- 

 getting power should not be lost in the rams, they are not 

 so valuable as breeders as they would have been had they 

 not been thus fitted. Their movement in service is less 

 active than that of other rams, which is so far against 

 them, and the animals begotten by them are in many in- 

 stances not equal in vigor with lambs begotten by what 

 are termed field rams. The lambs produced by ewes thus 

 fitted are also usually inferior to other lambs in inherent 

 ruggedness, even though such ewes should retain the 

 ability to conceive. Those who exhibit sheep, therefore, 

 must not look for results in the line of breeding that they 

 ma.y reap from members of the flock not thus fitted. 



Miscellaneous observations on showing sheep — (i) 

 Certain terms are commonly used with reference to the 

 showing of sheep to designate exactly what is included 

 in each exhibit or what is meant by each award made. 

 Sheep are shown singly, in pairs, in pens or in flocks. In 

 the classes by ages they are shown singly. In the class 

 exhibits a ram lamb is a male shown under the age of one 

 year; a shearling ram is a male shown between the age 

 of one and two years ; and an aged ram is a male that has 

 passed the age of two years. The ewes are similarly 

 graded. When shown for champion honors both rams 

 and ewes are also shown singly. A pair is two of one sex, 

 but usually only ewes are shown in pairs. A pen, unless 

 otherwise stated, consists of three individuals. In the 

 breeding classes a pen usually includes one male, vvhat- 

 soever the number of females. In the fat classes a pen 

 usually includes five wethers. A flock in some instances 

 includes an aged ram, a shearling ram and a ram lamb ; 

 also the same number of ewes of similar ages, but fre- 

 quently it includes a mature male and three females 

 shown in the aged, shearling and lamb forms. The terms 

 pen and flock are sometimes used to express the same 

 thing. A special prize means a premium ofl^ered outside 

 of and in addition to the ordinary list of premiums. A 



