Farm Sheep 181 
ewes carry their lambs five months, this will cause the 
lambs to arrive in the months of February and March, 
which is a good time in mild climate for either the com- 
mercial lamb or the pure-bred. Lambs earlier than this 
require extra care and expense, while later lambs do not 
have as good a start before the hot weather sets in. 
Fifty ewes is the number usually allowed to one ram 
in a season. On many farms it is customary to turn the 
ram with the flock of ewes when breeding is to begin. 
This practice, though permissible, is not as satisfactory 
as the method where the ewes are bred by hand coupling. 
In hand coupling the ram is turned in with the ewes night 
and morning. At these times the flock is watched closely, 
and as soon as a ewe is served she is taken away so that 
the ram will pay attention to other ewes which may be in 
heat. The ram is not allowed to serve more than three 
ewes each morning and three each night. Some of the 
advantages of hand coupling may be enumerated as 
follows: the vitality and vigor of the ram is saved, as 
each ewe has one service instead of half a dozen; the ram 
is not allowed to give all his attention to one ewe, thus 
neglecting other ewes which might be in heat; the shep- 
herd has a chance to find out whether or not his ram is 
a good breeder, as ewes which do not become pregnant 
from the first service will come in heat again ; the shepherd 
is able to keep a record of the date of breeding of each ewe, 
and hence knows the date when she is to lamb. The 
disadvantages are additional labor and expense. For a 
choice pure-bred flock, hand coupling is usually advisable. 
It has also proven profitable when one wishes to breed 
more than the normal number of ewes to one especially 
good ram rather than to go to the expense of buying 
another ram which might not prove a satisfactory breeder. 
