The Process of Breeding. 71 



allow at least an interval of one hour between services, 

 and seldom is more than one service given a mare in the 

 one heat. 



Bulls may be allowed twenty-five cows in a breeding 

 season, although the practice of advanced dairymen of 

 having cows coming in at different times increases the 

 opportunities for the use of the bull's procreative powers 

 manifold, the conditions under which such an animal is 

 kept practically controls his ability as a sire; if fat and 

 lacking exercise his powers are markedly deficient. 



Heifers are usually bred to come in at two years of 

 age; if earlier their development is hindered and they 

 are forever spoiled. 



The practice with rams varies with the location to 

 some extent, on the ranges a ram is allotted to' 

 forty ewes; if ram lambs are used, only six to ten 

 ewes should be allowed; a better practice is to use no' 

 rams below the yearling age, which means in most flocks, 

 eighteen months or thereabouts. The shepherd is so 

 situated that he, of all the stockmen, can watch the re- 

 sults of overmating and the use of immature sires and 

 dams, if such are used, or the ram overtaxed, the lambs 

 come either weak or undersized; a ram whose powers are 

 carefully husbanded, by turning with the ewes for a 

 short time only each day, may have as many as sixty 

 ewes in the breeding season, frequent services should not 

 be allowed, only bad results follow, such as weakening 

 of the ram. Ewes are not usually bred until they have 

 attained the age of yearlings. 



A boar cannot be expected to be a successful sire un- 

 less he has reached the age of one year; the sow being 



