258 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging. 



THE HAMPSHIRE. 



Twelve or fifteen years ago tfiis breed was not 

 found in very great numbers, but in late years it 

 has become quite popular in this country, espe- 

 cially in the western states. It is a large sheep 

 about the equal in weight of the Oxford. The 

 lambs mature early, since thej^ are large at birth, 

 and are forced ahead by the remarkable milk 

 flow of their mothers. Hence their owner is en- 

 abled to get lambs of the desirable weight and flesh 

 on the market at the age of from seventy-five to 

 ninety days, when they command a high price. 

 The writer has seen lambs of this breed that 

 ^^'eighed twenty-four and twenty-six pounds when 

 fifteen days old. The Hampshire is also a very 

 prolific sheep. 



The color of the head and legs is preferably a 

 rich black. The head is somewhat long and the 

 ears a little drooped. The frame of the body is 

 long and straight and is covered Avith short dense 

 wool, having but little yolk. The wool on the head 

 usually extends a little beyond the eyes and cheeks, 

 forming, as it is called, a "cap." Little wool is 

 found on the front legs below the knees, the hind legs 

 are slightly wooled below the hocks. This breed, 

 like the Oxford, is used to a great extent for cross- 

 breeding in the western states. 



