254 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging. 



POINTS OF EXCELLENCE FOR SHROPSHIRE SHEEP. 



(I)— TYPE AND GENERAL APPEARANCE. 

 An alert, attractive, and stylish appearance, showing at a glance the 



true characteristics of the Shropshire . . . . 30 



(2)— FORM AND CONSTITUTION. 

 Head. — To impress at once the Shropshire characteristics. 

 Heads of Rams. — To be masculine as indicated by a broad nostril. 



short, broad between ears and eyes. 

 Neck. — Short and muscular fitting into shoulders in graceful out- 

 lines. 

 Heads of Ewes. — To be feminine in appearance, medium in length, 



but not delicate. 

 Neck.^Not so strong as in the ram. In all cases head and face 



nicely covered with wool; ears, short and erect; eyes, bright; color 



of face, brown to a clear dark (not sooty black). 

 Body. — -Well proportioned with shoulders so placed as to fit in evenly 



to a deep wide brisket. A full heart-girth; broad level back; ribs 



well sprung with straight underline; loins thick-fleshed; fore and 



hind flank deep; a low coupled twist, and full leg of mutton. 

 Legs.— Brown to clear dark color (not sooty black), well set apart, 



short and straight with strong upright pasterns. 

 Size. — When fully matured and in proper breeding condition, 

 Rams should weigh not less than 175 to 250 pounds and Ewes not 



less than 140 to 180 pounds 35 



(3)— FLESHING. 

 While the body should be well formed with the full outline pleasing 



to the eye, yet it is the quality and quantity of ilesh not fat. 



which gives value to the carcass. Therefore the parts furnishing 



the high-priced cuts should be fully developed. 

 The back, loins and legs, should be so fleshed as to show a large per- 

 centage of flesh compared with the other parts of the body, at the 



same time symmetry must prevail throughout. 

 Strong bone in legs conformable with size of body usually goes with a 



large proportion of lean meat to fat in the finished carcass. . 25 



(4)— FLEECE AND SKIN. 

 Fleece of good length, elastic to the touch, medium fine and slighlly 



crimped, free from black fibre and hairiness. Ram's scrotum to be 



well covered with wool. 

 Rams should shear 8 to 15 pounds of wool and ewes 7 to 11. 

 Skin to be a bright cherry or clear color and comparatively free from 



dark spots. ... 10 



OBJECTIONS. 

 Long narrow head with long ears and neck; long legs; black wool on 



head to any noticeable extent; failure of wool to meet closely at the 



junction of facewool and on cheeks; white spots on face and legs; 



crooked spine; light flanks, with long weak pasterns; spotted skin; 



narrow chest showing lack of constitution. 



DISQUALIFICATION FOR REGISTRY. 

 Such lack of type as to render it doubtful to a breeder what the breed 



is; Horns or Stubs, not Scurs. Heads quite bare of wool. 



