SELECTING EWES AFTER THE FLOCK IS ESTABLISHED 223 



of the body are much better , prepared to withstand the hardships 

 brought about by changes in weather than are those bearing scant, 

 open fleeces. It should also be remembered that even though wool 

 may be comparatively low in price, it brings in some revenue and 

 helps somewhat toward making the flock profitable. The best types 

 of wool for farm flocks are those that grade from " one-fourth 

 blood," " three-eighths blood " or " half blood " combing. These 

 wools range from two and one-half inches to four inches in length, 

 and in fineness they correspond to the wool produced by the Down 

 breeds. 



Sixth, the flock mothers should be of quiet disposition. This 

 statement is in no sense a contradiction to what was said in dis- 

 cussing the constitution of breeding ewes. We are here distinguish- 

 ing between the ewe possessing sense and the one devoid of sense. 

 Reject the fools; they are always upsetting something, most often 

 the shepherd's temper. 



Seventh, breeding ewes should be sound and in their prime. 

 Their teeth should be in good conditioil, that is, they should be 

 intact and not worn down short. Their udders should be soft and 

 pliable, the teats intact and free from hard cores. Very fat in- 

 dividuals should be rejected, for they are either non-breeders or so 

 filled with internal fat that their lambs are likely to be small and 

 weak. It is not safe to buy ewes that are lame or addicted to 

 coughing. As a rule, ewe lambs should not be selected for breed- 

 ing, as they are too young to be sufficiently developed at lambing 

 time. Hence, they are likely to have trouble in lambing and to be 

 deficient in maternal instinct. 



Eighth, the purchaser of breeding females should know his 

 needs and select accordingly. If he is in a neighborhood of good 

 lamb raisers he would do well to buy ewes that will produce lambs 

 about like those of his neighbors. By so doing, he will be in position 

 to cooperate with them in the disposal of his lamb crop. If he has 

 a great deal of heavy, coarse feed to dispose of he can handle large 

 ew^es to advantage. If he has hilly, extensive range with sparse 

 vegetation, smaller and more active ewes are what he should select. 

 If he wishes to engage in a specialized business, such as winter 

 lambs, the selecting of his ewes is a special problem requiring a 

 great deal of painstaking care. 



Selecting Ewes After the Flock is Established. — There may 

 be two reasons for selecting breeding ewes after the flock has been 



