26 PRESENT TYPES OF SHEEP RAISING 



tinct type. He has to take certain things into consideration which 

 do not enter into the operations of the owner of a commercial flock ; 

 for instance, the location of his farm, the study of individual sheep 

 rather than of flocks or bands, the ability to make matings that will 

 produce animals with great inherent possibilities, to feed so that 

 these possibilities will be made apparent, and finally, the finding of 

 a market for this product. In fact, the successful management of 

 the pure-bred flock requires a proprietor of a special type with a 

 special training. 



Sheep and Lamb Feeding. — A great many western sheep and 

 lambs are fattened for the market in the Middle \\^est and in certain 

 parts of the East. 



These western sheep aud lambs are purchased in the autunxn 

 when large numbers are reaching the central markets. In such 

 states as Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri they are usually allowed to 

 run first in the fields, where they feed on pasture stubble, corn 

 stalks, weeds, and in some cases, soybeans and rape. They accom- 

 plish what may be termed a general " cleaning up " of the farm, 

 and many farmers depend on them for this as others depend on the 

 small flock for the same function. Before the fattening process is 

 finished it is almost always necessary to supplement the feed of the 

 fields with grain and hay. Further east, as in Ohio, Michigan, and 

 New York, feeding sheep and lambs are not often given a run in the 

 fields, but are placed in the barns immediately after their arrival at 

 the farm and are fattened on various harvested feeds. In a few 

 sections of the country sheep and lambs are still fed in large plants 

 especially constructed for the purpose. This kind of feeding is very 

 largely a speculative business as both the animals and the feeds used 

 have to be purchased (Pig. 12). 



QUESTIONS 



1. Name the types of sheep raising commonly practiced in the prominent 



sheep countries. 



2. Which type is followed in your community? 



3. In your opinion which type requires the most labor per sheep? Which 



gives the greatest returns per sheep ? 



4. Which types are most likely to be followed in communities where land 



is very fertile and costly? 



5. Which types are likely to become more general in the United States 



than at present? 



