NATIVE AND WESTERN MARKET SHEEP 17 



eating, she is said to have a broken mouth. Such ewes are 

 from five to six years old and up. Under range conditions 

 their most useful days have passed, but Middle States 

 farmers who can furnish them ground grain, leguminous 

 hay, and abundant pastures can keep them from two to 

 four years, then fatten and sell them for nearly as much 

 as they paid. During the time of ownership these ewes 

 will have averaged about one hundred per cent of lambs, and 

 sheared from five to eight pounds of wool each year. This 

 book does not deal primarily with breeding sheep, but the 

 point mentioned is worthy of every Middle States farmer's 

 attention. From a feeder's standpoint ewes are not to be 

 recommended, for their breeding •s'alue gives them too high 

 a relative feeding value. On the other hand, there are some 

 cases when a bunch of ewes can be purchased at a real 

 bargain, and if the intending feeder has the proper kind of 

 feed in his bins and mows, he can make money on them. 



Western Rams and Cull Sheep 



Few Western culls. Not many sheep of this class reach 

 the market. They seldom, if ever, go out as feeders and 

 as a whole are of very little consequence. 



