Establishing the Flock. 9 



Heavily fitted show rams have often failed to 

 be breeders, or if they did breed, they produced 

 small, weak lambs. Flockmasters are, therefore, 

 warned not to purchase these too heavily fitted or 

 "overdone" rams. A good, so-called "field" ram, 

 in proper condition, generally gives the best re- 

 sults in breeding. 



THE AGE OF THE RAM TO USE. 



A ram of the middle and long wool breeds is 

 sufficiently developed and fit for service at the 

 age of one and one-half years, being then called a 

 "yearling." While it is common among breeders 

 to buy yearling rams for service, it may be of in- 

 terest to flockmasters to know that it has been 

 found here at the Wisconsin Experiment Station, 

 where every lamb is weighed at birth, tliat lambs 

 sired by rams which were older than yearlings are 

 heavier, on an average, than those from yearlings. 



Sheep breeders very often make a mistake by 

 using a ram lamb for breeding. Such a practice 

 is detrimental to their own interests and profit. A 

 sheep makes its most growth the first year of its 

 life; and hence it can readily be seen that when a 

 lamb, only about six to eight months old, is bred 

 to a lot of ewes, its own development is very 

 much hindered. Ram lambs, when heavily used, 

 have often proved to be non-breeders afterwards. 



