50 CIRCULAR 925, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
unknown causes. Occasionally after winters of very short feed, es- 
pecially when weather was cold and the snow deep, sheep on the 
heavily grazed range became very weak by spring and losses were 
extremely high. In 1932, after a severe winter, losses of 10 to 20 
percent were common on heavily grazed ranges in the general vicinity 
of the Desert Experimental Range; some herds suffered losses as high 
as 50 percent. 
TABLE 14.—Average fleece weights from two bands of sheep, one on 
moderately grazed range and one on heavily grazed range 1935-36 to 
1942-43» 
: Moderate Heavy : 
OEE season Sess oe Difference 
Pounds Pounds Pounds 
POSS G0. a5 ee ee a ee ee eT Eh 10.91 0.24 
1936-3 6 eS a ee eee 10.79 | 9.12 1.67 
$937 38 eS ee ee ee ee 10.70 | 10.16 | 54 
{OS R30 Se 2 eS Se ee 10.94 | 9.28 | 1.66 
193 FA ae OS a a oe 10.51 | 9.33 118 
POAQHA se ee ee eee 39.58 | 9.53 .05 
P9411) Se ee ee a Se ee 10.67 9 02 1.65 
PQA A So SS Ee ee ee ea 10.67 | 10.10 57 
AVOTA SC eS ie iS 10.63 9.68 | .95 
1 All weights on “‘grease” basis; averages from 1939-40 onward adjusted to uniform 
shrink (approximately 61 percent). 
2 Figures in italic type for herd A, others for herd B. 
3 Losses of approximately 1 pound per head in sagebrush range prior to shearing not 
included. 
LAMB CROPS 
Lamb crops of herds wintered in the moderately grazed allotments 
and on heavily grazed range were recorded between 1935 and 1946. 
Counts of lambs were made at docking time. Data from these counts 
are shown below in terms of the number of lambs docked per hundred 
ewes. 
Lambs produced 
per 100 ewes 
Moderate H eavy 
Grazing season: acon (amber 
OS 5=50 22 es re ee ae ee Shae a eee ees 75 70 
POSG has Se Se ee ee ad glen 5 sj ees he 76 69 
SUSIHSS = FE de Soe Nee aah eee ee See Ee 73 7 
POSS OO se Oe a Be ae Ey ae he eee 86 65 
TAO ee IT et ee ee 87 92 
PAG 4452 BSI Se a ae ee ee eee 106 78 
1 YY Ree. 5 a eed a ee A ere Ae a Ry ee Le ae eS SP 92 84 
jE Ee. © sea Da aR Ree crt Beg gis Cope ipa AS a Ps vay Say Fe TL 94 87 
ET ee NS ee gar a a Oe ae 73 85 
ae eo EE SS ee ee ee 104 67 
SOAS 46 St Se ee a ee 98 93 
