Range Sheep 125 



ewes not counting their lambs. This in turn necessitates 

 the use of sheep carrying a considerable portion of Merino 

 blood, since it is only from this source that sheep derive 

 that peculiar tendency to "flock" or stay together, which 

 makes it possible for one man to handle so many. 



The herders are never called shepherds, but always 

 "herders" or "sheep-herders." The word "shepherd" 

 is used in the West only to indicate the man who takes 

 care of a flock of pure-bred sheep on the breeding farm or 

 on the show circuit. The word "flock" is also supplanted 

 on the range by the word " band." " Flock " is considered 

 correct usage only when applied to a small bunch of sheep 

 kept under fence. 



SUMMER AND WINTER RANGES 



The summer range is located in the higher altitudes 

 where the high plateaus, burns, and mountain meadows 

 furnish green grass during the months when the lower 

 ranges would be very dry. Green grass is very neces- 

 sary during the months of June, July, and August in order 

 to maintain the milk flow at a maximum. At the age of 

 two months, lambs require green feed even more than do 

 the ewes. The exact time the sheep enter the summer 

 ranges depends on the season and the locality, but it is 

 usually during the months of May or June and after shear- 

 ing. The sheep are kept upon the summer range as long 

 as the weather permits, which is until there is danger of 

 blockade from early snow storms. Usually the sheep- 

 men drive their sheep out of the mountains before any 

 signs of deep snow appear rather than take the chance of 

 a severe loss. In a favorable season, when the weather 

 is good and the feed abundant, there is a strong tempta- 



