THE SHEEP INDUSTRY ON THE MINIDOKA PROJECT. 7 
desirable size. Such a flock requires special pastures, winter feed 
yards, and a lambing shed. It is questionable whether in the long 
average of years it will be desirable to use an entire farm for sheep 
production, as has been the tendency in a few cases. A flock of 
100 ewes will require on the average the entire production of 20 
acres of land. A flock of 350 or 400 ewes would require the entire 
production of an improved 80-acre farm. With one of these large 
flocks there would be no inexpensive waste feeds and no by-products 
of other agricultural industries, which are so profitably utilized by 
sheep on farms where sheep production is not the exclusive industry. 
The importance of sheep in the utilization of waste materials should 
receive special emphasis. It is largely through such utilization that 
the economical production of sheep on irrigated farms is possible. It 
is important, therefore, that farmers who contemplate engaging in 
sheep production on these irrigated lands should carefully consider 
the relationship of sheep to other industries of the farm and should 
pay special attention to the utilization of waste materials. Of the 
289 farms on the project carrying sheep in 1916, only 38 carried more 
than 100 head each. This indicates the general tendency to keep 
sheep in relatively small bands, and such a tendency is to be encour- 
aged. 
FOUNDATION STOCK. 
Getting started.—There are various methods whereby a farmer 
can secure a start in the sheep industry on the Minidoka project. 
Experience here and elsewhere has led to the conclusion that 
for the inexperienced man the foundation stock should be grades. 
The successful production of pure-bred stock requires expert 
knowledge both in the selection of stock and in its management. 
It is also important to consider that the cost of starting with 
pure-bred ewes is much greater than that of starting with grade 
ewes. So far it has been possible for farmers on the project to 
secure a start in the sheep business by obtaining orphans and 
disowned lambs from range sheep camps on the project. These 
lambs usually may be had for the asking. There are numerous 
instances in which such lambs have been taken from the camps, fed 
cows’ milk, carefully handled during the first few weeks of their 
lives, and thus become the origin of successful farm flocks. Good 
results are secured by feeding cows’ milk from a bottle with a small 
rubber nipple attached. Lambs when obtaining their feed by 
natural methods receive their milk in small quantities at frequent 
intervals. This should be kept in mind in the early feeding of 
lambs secured from range bands. The milk should be clean and of 
uniform temperature, as determined by a thermometer. Farmers 
who are successful in raising lambs on bottles feed two or three 
tablespoonfuls of milk every two hours for the first few days and then 
