SHEEP RAISING FOR 
BEGINNERS. 
9 
tions and kind of 
feeding and manage- 
ment for which each 
has been especially 
developed.^ 
It is highly advan- 
tageous for all, or a 
majority, of the 
farms in a neighbor- 
hood to keep the same 
breed of sheep, or at 
least to continue the 
use of rams of the 
same breed. After a 
decision has been 
made as to a suitable 
breed, the aim should 
be to obtain ewes that 
are individually good 
and that have as 
many crosses as pos- 
sible of the breed 
selected. With such 
a foundation and the 
continuous use of 
good pure-bred rams 
of the same breed, the 
flock will make con- 
tinuous improvement. 
In looking for ewes 
of desired types and 
breeding it will often 
be found impossible 
to get them near at home at a reasonable price. Ewes from the west- 
ern ranges can be obtained directly from a stockyard market. For 
the most part the range ewes are of Merino breeding. First-cross 
ewe lambs and less often older stock bred on the range and sired 
by rams of the down or long-wool breeds are sometimes obtainable. 
These, or even the Merino ewes, furnish a foundation for the flock 
that can be quickly graded up by using rams of the breed preferred. 
The lambs from Merino ewes and mutton rams grow well and sell 
1 Farmers' Bulletin 576, entitled " Breeds of Sheep for the Farm," discusses the 
adaptability of each of the common breeds. It is obtainable from the Department of 
Agriculture upon request. 
Fig. 3. — A 2-year-old mouth. The two large teeth in the 
center are the first pair that come in at about 12 months 
of age. The next, or 2-year-old pair, show one on each 
side of the center pair. The two small teeth on the 
right are lamb teeth. 
100701 
-Bull. 840—1^ 
