230 Sheep-Farming 



higher price were they on the market. Later in the 

 season, lambs should range between 45 and 50 pounds 

 when slaughtered. The condition of the market, 

 the weather, and the lambs should be taken into 

 account in deciding whether to slaughter at the 

 lighter weight. If the lamb is very fat, the weather 

 and the market good, or if the lamb is getting too 

 old, better slaughter at 45 pounds of weight ; other- 

 wise the chances are in favor of profit in holding a 

 week or two longer. 



The breeding flock. — There are oidy three breeds 

 of ewes that yield, to a profitable extent, in changing 

 their breeding habit from fall to spring : the Dorset, 

 Merino, and Tunis. A small per cent of Downs and 

 Long Wools will breed for January lambs, but the 

 best prices generally prevail from Christmas through 

 January and February. By March the number 

 going to market depresses the price. 



Because Tunis and Dorset are found in such small 

 numbers in this country, the vast majority of ewes 

 employed in the production of winter lambs are 

 Merinos or High Grades of some of the three breeds 

 mentioned. The Merinos used are the better mut- 

 ton type families. When mated with rams of the 

 mutton breeds, they produce very satisfactory lambs, 

 though requiring two or three weeks longer to grow 

 to marketable size. Some winter-lamb growers 

 fatten and sell the ewe flock each year; others re- 

 tain them several years, even throughout their use- 



