CHAPTER IV. 



feeding and fattening. 



It is only of recent years that the industry of feeding sheep- 

 in this country for the home and export trade has assumed large 

 proportions. Formerly the sheep were valued more for the wool 

 they produced than their mutton qualities, but as wool depreci- 

 ated in value and the people at large became educated to the 

 value of mutton as an article of diet, chiefly through the crossing 

 of valuable foreign mutton breeds on the native stock, the matter 

 of feeding sheep to meet the demand claimed the attention of 

 the flock-owners, until at the present time sheep feeding has be- 

 come of almost as much importance as wool growing. It is our 

 aim here to show the various methods in feeding adopted in 

 different parts of the country, which, necessarily, have to vary 

 to suit different localities and conditions. E^aturally the atten- 

 tion of feeders is called to consider what particular breed has 

 the most aptitude to make ilesh and fat, also what particular 

 class will fetch the highest price on the market he is feeding for. 

 For instance, a feeder expecting to supply the export trade will 

 feed only such animals that have a large carcass, the demand 

 abroad being for large mutton, while that which brings the top- 

 price at home is the medium size to small of frame when prime. 



Again the majority of feeders in this country are not breed- 

 ers, but rely chiefly on the supply from the Western States and 

 territories for their stock to feed. That being the case, it re- 

 mains to be seen what is considered the best class of sheep to 

 feed. 



Of late years the common lambs from !N^ew Mexico and 

 Southern Colorado have sprung rauch into favor, their points of 



