THE BREEDING OF SHEEP 401 



THE BREEDING OF THE EWES 



Productive period. — There is a strong tendency on the part 

 of beginners to breed yearling lambs, particularly if they are well 

 grown. The yearling ewe should not be bred, as the drain on 

 her system weakens her condition and leaves her an easy prey 

 to parasite infection. Furthermore, if breeding the yearling 

 is persisted in, it will lessen the size of the ewe. The ewe 

 may remain in the breeding flock as long as she continues to 

 breed true. She will be unreliable after her teeth drop out, as 

 it is difficult for her to nourish the fetus in winter when dry 

 forage is the main feed. Unless a valuable ewe, a better plan 

 is to fatten her as soon as she begins to lose her teeth. Ewes 

 vary widely in the age at which they stop breeding, some being 

 unreliable at four or five years, while others will continue to 

 breed until eight years, and even longer. 



Season to breed. — The season to mate the ewes will depend 

 on the time the lambs are wanted. In this country, on the 

 average farm, the breeding season begins in September oi 

 October. To encourage breeding early, the e\jres are often fed 

 a very stimulating ration, a practice sometimes spoken of as 

 "flushing" ; and some owners hold the ewes while the ram 

 serves them, then in a few days the ewes come around natu- 

 rally, when the ram serves them again in the natural way. 

 When spring lambs are to be produced, the mating must be 

 done in August, September, and October, as the Iambs should 

 be dropped in January, February, and March. To get the lambs 

 to mate in August requires similar treatment to that suggested 

 for winter lambs (page 389). On the average farm the mating 

 should all be done before Christmas, as lambs dropped after the 

 middle of May are not likely to thrive without much extra care. 



Method of mating. — The 6ommon practice is to let the ram 

 run with the flock during the breeding season. This is not a wise 

 practice. A better plan is to keep him away from the ewes. 



