150 Sheep-Farming 



Such a plan of procedure in selecting a sire involves 

 time and study and commonly some expense. Since, 

 however, it is the only opportunity to influence the 

 inheritance of the lambs of the ewes that are to be 

 bred, the effort is a necessary one. The owner's 

 skill in breeding determines the success of the stock- 

 raising venture, and the selection of sires offers the 

 main opportunity for the investment of time and 

 skill. 



Study of pedigrees. — It is not only practical, but 

 imperative, to study pedigrees in the way that has 

 been discussed. In some cases, an animal that has 

 defects but is backed up by parents and grand- 

 parents that stand the test may be more dependable 

 than another that is superior individually but not 

 vouched for by his forbears. No rule can be laid 

 down to guide in a choice between individual merit 

 and merit in ancestry. There is great danger of 

 allowing esteem for an animal to blind one to the 

 defects of that animal's offspring. A safe way is 

 to investigate the ancestry of only those animals 

 that first command attention by their own merit. 



Pedigree is sometimes spoken of as "a promise 

 but not a guarantee of performance." Occasionally 

 there is an opportunity to procure sires that have 

 produced offspring of uniformly high character. 

 This is a guarantee of performance, and such a sire 

 is much to be preferred to the most promising 

 untested one. Even with a proven sire, however, it 



