256 Sheep-Farming 



found from shearing in December. Those shorn 

 yielded a total of 2 pounds less washed wool than 

 the others and made a total gain of 2.7 pounds less 

 than the wethers that were not shorn. 



Shearing in October. — It was found decidedly ben- 

 eficial to shear lambs in this month before fattening 

 them. Five wethers were shorn October 14 and fed 

 for fifteen weeks, against another lot of 5 left 

 unshorn. The shorn lot gained 225.5 pounds and 

 the unshorn 210.5 pounds, or an average weekly 

 gain per head of 3 pounds for the shorn and 2.8 

 pounds for the unshorn. The cost of 100 pounds 

 of gain was $6.11 with the shorn lot and $6.67 with 

 the unshorn. In another trial with 16 wethers, 

 8 were shorn October 6, and the same number left 

 unshorn. In ten weeks feeding, the shorn lot gained 

 194.4 pounds, or 3.4 pounds per head weekly, while 

 the unshorn lot gained 169 pounds, or 3 pounds per 

 head weekly. In both of these trials, it was observed 

 that the removal of the fleece hastened the early matu- 

 rity or fattening of the wethers up to the time the fleece 

 had again grown over 1 inch in length, or untU 

 about eight weeks had passed. 



System of feeding. — There is unlimited variation 

 in general practice in regard to this point. It has 

 been the custom to feed the grain first, then the 

 succulent food, and last the dry fodder. In feeding 

 fattening sheep, the aim should be to induce the 

 wethers to eat as much as possible. At this time 



