FLUSHING TO INCREASE LAMB YIELDS. 7 
owing to unfavorable weather, when good pasture is not available 
and pastures are too short even to hold ewes at their initial weight. 
In such cases grain could no doubt be economically used. 
EARLINESS OF LAMBING. 
In addition to the increase in the number of lambs from flushed 
ewes, many breeders have believed that the extra nourishment 
brought the ewes in heat earlier, thereby resulting in earlier lambs. 
These tests, however, do not bear out that belief, the average date 
of first service being the same for both flushed and unflushed lots. 
UNIFORMITY OF LAMBS' AGES. 
Having all the lambs of about the same age is a great advantage 
in marketing and flock management. It was thought that flushing 
would bring the ewes to service earlier, and thus be a great aid in 
preventing late lambs. This expectation was not realized, however, 
in the experiments. More of the cases of not getting in lamb until 
the second or third service occurred among the flushed ewes and was 
of course followed by a larger proportion of late lambs. 
The number of ewes lambing to each successive service in each 
year is shown in the following table ; 20 ewes whi Ji were bred after 
being interchanged between lots on a special test are not included. 
Table 2 - 
-Number and per cent of 
ewes 
getting in lamb at each service. 
Unflushed lots. 
Flushed lots. 
Year. 
Lot 
No. 
Ewes 
in 
lot. 
Service. 
Lot 
No. 
Ewes 
in 
lot. 
Service. 
1st. 
2d. 
3d. 
4th. 
5th. 
1st. 
2d. 
3d. 
4th. 
5th. 
1916 
1 
3 
5 
7 
9 
15 
10 
19 
17 
15 
8 

15 
7 
14 
5 
4 
3 
4 
1 
2 
5 
1 
5 


1 

1 






2 
4 
6 
8 
10 
11 
13 
14 
16 
17 
19 
20 
25 
15 
20 
13 
14 
11 
21 
21 
16 
14 
16 
15 
10 
7 
15 
6 
11 
7 
6 
12 
12 
9 
10 
7 
10 
7 
3 
3 
3 
2 
7 
3 
4 
4 
3 
5 
3 
1 
2 
3 

1 
6 
6 

1 
1 
3 
1 


1 

1 
2 



2 

1 
1917 


1918 



1919 
12 
25 
13 
9 
2 
1 



1920 
15 
18 
12 
6 





1921 
18 
12 
8 
3 

1 



Total. .... 
131 
77 
59 
35 
27 
15 
11 
4 
3 

201 
112 
56 
54 
27 
27 
13 
7 
4 
l 

TWIN PRODUCTION AS AFFECTED BY AGE OF EWE. 
Flock records of the Bureau of Animal Industry show a gradual 
rise in the proportion of twins born until the ewes are 5 and 6 years 
old. 6 There is a possibility that this is due in part to elimination of 
6 These records are in substantial agreement with data obtained from the University of Wisconsin flock 
which showed a gradual increase in per cent of lambs produced by ewes until 5 years of age. See " The 
Relation of Age of Dam to Observed Fecundity in Domesticated Animals. I. Multiple Births in Cattle 
and Sheep," by Sarah V. H. Jones and James E. Rouse, in Journal of Dairy Science, Vol. Ill, No. 4, July, 
