366 



A STUDY OF FARM ANIMALS 



while the females are hornless. With Dorset sheep, the ewes 

 have a slender, one-curve horn; while the rams have a heav- 

 ier, different type of horn', of spiral form. Hardly as much 

 compactness is sought with breeding sheep as with those for 

 fattening purposes. Special attention should be given to 



the fleece in judging breeding 

 stock. Each breed is char- 

 acterized by a type of fleece 

 that careful judges recognize, 

 although the staple of two dif- 

 ferent breeds may approach 

 each other in grade, as, for 

 example, Shropshire and Ox- 

 ford. The age, constitution, 

 and general health should be 

 considered, with trueness to 

 breed type and strong sex 

 characteristics. 



Figure 164. — Judging Merino sheep 

 Inspecting belly wool. Photograph 

 by the author. 



IN MAKING A STUDY OF SHEEP 



1. How should the animal be caught and held? 



2. What is the correct method of examining the fleece? 



3. How do you use the hands in determining covering of flesh? 



4. Describe the method of inspecting a leg of mutton. 



5. Where on the body are the different grades of wool found? 



6. Describe types A, B, and C. 



7. How should the fine-wool type be examined? 



8. How do the scales of points of mutton and fine-wool sheep 



especially differ? 



9. What kind of defects of the feet may occur with the Merino? 

 10. How do breeding sheep differ from others in character? 



11, 

 12, 



13. 



IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SHEEP 



Use the score card at home, if you have sheep. 

 Compare several animals on the following points: 



(a) The sex character shown in head and neck. 



(b) Amount and quality of wool. 



(c) Covering of flesh. 



(d) Thickness of chest. 



(e) Character of rump and hind legs. 



In shearing season, judge one or more animals before, and again 

 after the fleece has been removed. 



