The Improvement of the Flock 159 



other Iambs of the same parents. When there is 

 doubt, it is practicable to breed the young ewe once 

 and determine her fitness by the merit of her off- 

 spring. In all this there lies, for most persons, the 

 great danger of retaining unworthy ewes through a 

 desire to increase numbers or through inability to 

 see defect where excellence was hoped for. In some 

 German flocks, outside experts are employed to cull 

 the ewes and to sort them into lots, for each of which 

 a special sire is chosen. 



Developing the lamb. — It was stated in the 

 beginning of the discussion of improvement that 

 three opportimities presented themselves. The first 

 was in the selection of sires, the second in culling 

 the ewes, and the third in developing the lambs. 

 The first two are equally important in determining 

 the inheritance of the lambs, the last has to do with 

 the utilization of the inheritance. The way in 

 which the lambs are fed and cared for, their environ- 

 ment, cannot be said to be either more or less 

 important than their inheritance. Both factors 

 must be fully attended to if progress is to be made. 



The chief consideration in the choosing of a breed 

 and type was adaptability to the conditions under 

 which the flock was to be kept and the plan of 

 their handling, that is, the age and weight to sell, 

 and kind of feeding. The foundation stock con- 

 sisted of representative animals secured from a 

 flock accustomed to the same kind of treatment. 



