122 Western Live-stock Management 
large scale and are seldom kept under fence; the raising 
of sheep on the ranges is a business in itself, and is not 
ordinarily conducted in connection with, or as a by-prod- 
uct of, any other line of agriculture. 
The raising of pure-bred sheep on the range is very 
similar to that of raising commercial sheep for wool or 
mutton. The essential differences come in marketing 
and in the fact that the pure-bred stock, because of the 
capital invested in them, require better care. 
The fattening of range sheep on grain and hay is a 
business confined strictly to those districts where alfalfa 
is abundant. It is conducted exclusively in the winter 
time, and is usually carried on in connection with either 
raising sheep on the range or the raising of hay and grain 
on the farm. Of the three phases, the first is, from the 
standpoint of capital invested and number of persons 
employed, by far the most important. 
FARM SHEEP 
The three phases of the farm sheep industry are: the 
raising of spring lambs, the raising of pure-bred sheep, 
and the raising of hot house lambs. 
The raising of spring lambs on the cultivated farms of 
the West is a business that is conducted on a small scale 
in connection with other forms of general grain and 
hay farming. The flock usually consists of twenty to 
two hundred head. These sheep are never herded but 
are always under fence and for the most part on culti- 
vated land. Some native pasture is used, but not a large 
amount. The sheep are mostly grades of the down or 
long-wooled breeds. 
The raising of pure-bred sheep on the farm is very 
