Sheep; Its History, Breeding, Production 



15 



for crossing on smaller breeds, or 

 for up-breeding in a grade flock. 

 They produce good mutton, are 

 prolific, good milkers and make ex- 

 cellent mothers. Average weight 

 of ram is 275 to 300 pounds, ewe 

 200 to 250 pounds. 



The Suffolk 



The Suffolk is about the size of 

 the Shropshire. It has a black 

 face, with no wool on face or legs, 

 and very little on belly. It is a 

 most excellent mutton sheep, but a 

 small wool producer, average 

 weight of fleece being 7 to 9 A" Oxford Ram 



pounds. It is very hardy, easy to fatten and very prolific. In England 



The Suffolk 



the Suffolk competes favorably with the other mutton breeds. Little is 

 known of it in this country, but probably it would be to our advantage 

 to know more about it. 



The Dorset Horn 



The Dorset Horn is really a Down breed, but most strikingly dif- 

 ferent from most of them, because of its horns and white face. It is 

 a very strong, rugged sheep, mature rams weighing 250 to 300 pounds, 

 ewes 150 to 200 pounds. The wool is short and the average weight 

 of the fleece is only about 7 pounds. The quality of the mutton is only 

 fair and the carcass, especially in the matured sheep, is inclined to 

 be a little coarse. They are especially famous for their habit of breeding 

 early. They have a large number of twins, and it is possible to get 

 two crops of lambs from one set of ewes in 12 months. Lambs grow 



