Sheep Management: Breeds and Judging; a Textbook for the Shepherd and Student

Front matter

Google to make the world's books discoverable online.

It has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject

to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books

Preface

There are several books on sheep husbandry written by good authorities on the subject which have been of great aid to flockmasters. However, there is need for a book written in simple, comprehensiblCj every-day language dealing with the practical problems of sheep husbandry. This book has been prepared not only to serve the shepherd in his every-day work, but also to meet the requirements of the student in the classroom.

Numerous inquiries from flockowners from many sections of the country for information relative to sheep husbandry and the troubles connected with the industry, the requests of many friends and students, and especially the urgent requests of Dean Henry and later of Dean Russell, bath of the College of Agriculture of the University of Wisconsin, have induced the author to prepare this book. Judging from many letters received, not only the beginners with sheep, but also some of the more experienced men, often have many difficulties.

In addition to the chapters on the care and management of the flock, illustrations showing a practical method of judging sheep, together with descriptions and the scale of points of the different breeds of sheep are given.

IV Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging,

In this work the author has given his many years experience in sheep husbandry. From his early boyhood in his native land of Bavaria, Germany, he was in charge of the flock of Shropshires on his father's farm. In America he has had charge of the flock of the Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Wisconsin ever since April, 1890. While at this Station, he has carried on many experiments with sheep which have furnished him with a fund of valuable information regarding many lines of sheep husbandry. From all this experience, the writer feels free to state that no one nian knows everything concerning sheep. Entirely new problems occasionally arise which must be solved. However, one fact is always true. This is that good judgment, energy, kindness, and painstaking care are the keynotes to success in sheep husbandry. No person who treats his sheep like scavengers, giving them little or no attention, not furnishing them half enough to eat, and even depriving them of a drink of fresh water, can ever expect to derive any pleasure or profit from sheep husbandry. For such a man the sheep will never prove to be the "Golden Hoof." No rough, brutal person possessing a violent temper and lacking self-control should ever undertake to raise or care for a flock, as such actions are en-

Preface. v

tirely foreign to the innocent, peaceful nature of the sheep.

The writer feels deeply indebted to Messrs. F. B. Morrison, J. C. Marquis, and W. A. Sumner for their assistance in the preparation of this work, and also to the American Sheep Breeder for furnishing some of the photographs of prize winners.

Contents

PAGE.

Preface — iii

List of Illustrations _ xi

Introduction

The Shepherd and His Calling _- xv

CHAPTER I. Establishing the Flock

Value of Sheep on the Farm — Small Flock for Beginners — Scrub Ram Unprofitable — Selection of Ram — Age of Ram to Use — Care of Ram in Summer — Ram in the Fall — Number of Ewes to One Ram — Feed for Ram — The Ram in Winter — The Ewe Flock _ 1

CHAPTER II. General Management of the Flock

« The Handling of Sheep — Catching Sheep — Leading

Sheep — Carrying Small Sheep or Lambs — Setting

a Heavy Sheep on its Rump — Sore Teeth — ^Age of

Sheep ^-. 19

CHAPTER III. Winter Care and Feeding

Winter Grain for Ewe Flock — Amount of. Grain to be Fed — Succulent Feeds — ^Roughage — Winter Quarters — Lambing Pens — Exercise — Gestation Period of Ewes — Lambing Time — Ewes With Twins and Triplets — Ewes With Single Lambs — Lambs Born Weak — ^Reviving the Almost Lifeless Lamb —

[VII]

VIII Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

Chilled Lambs — ^Adopted Lambs — Newly Lambed Ewes — Assisting the Ewe in Lambing — Feeding the Ewe After Lambing — Caked Udders — Sore Teats — ^Tagging the Ewes JL 33

CHAPTER IV. Rearing the Lambs

The Lamb Creep — Grain Ration — Cow's Milk for Lambs — Raising Lambs by Hand — Marking the Lambs — Castrating the Lambs — Method of Castration — Docking the Lambs — ^Weaning the Lambs — Care of Lambs After Weaning — Care of the Ewe After Weaning — Goiter on Lambs 61

CHAPTER V. Shearing and Dipping the Flock

Shearing Sheep — ^Tying Up the Fleece — Sheering Ewes Before or After Lambing — Dipping a Necessity — ^Trimming the Feet 89

CHAPTER VL Prevention and Treatment of Parasites.

Stomach Worms — Symptoms — Prevention — ^Treatment — Size of Dose — Drenching Sheep — Sheep With Grub in the Head — Prevention — ^Bloat in Sheep — Remedy for Bloat — Medicines Helpful to the Flockmaster — Colic or Stretches — Wethers With Sore Sheaths — Maggots — Cause — ^Prevention — ^Treatment 105

CHAPTER VIL Summer Feeding and Care.

Sugar Beets and Mangels Dangerous for Rams and Wethers — Flushing the Ewes — Culling the Ewe Flock — Culling

Contents. ix

the Lamb Flock — Care at Breeding Time — Necessity of Salt — Burdocks and Sandburs — Dangers of Dead Furrows — Number of Sheep to the Acre 131

CHAPTER VIII.

Feeding Sheep for Market.

Age of Sheep to Feed — Selection of Feeders — Principles of Feeding — Little Exercise for Fattening Sheep — Hand Feeding or Self Feeders — Shelter — Grain — Roughages — Succulent Feeds — Rape Feeding Previous to Fattening — Best Time to Market — How to Feed Before Shipping — ^Winter Lambs — Care of Dorset Ewes — Feeding Winter Lambs 145

^ CHAPTER IX.

Fitting Sheep for the Show Ring.

Classes of Show Sheep — Selecting for the Breeding Class — Shearing Sheep for the Breeding Classes — Proper Time to Start Fitting — Feed for Show Lambs — Feed for Older Sheep — ^Trimming Show Sheep — ^A Help in Sheep Trimming — Coloring Sheep — Blanketing Sheep — Training Sheep for Shows — Shelter for Show Sheep — Trimming Feet of Show Sheep — Reducing Sheep After Fairs 177

CHAPTER X.

Fitting Wethers for Shows.

Selection of Wethers — Shearing Wethers — ^Age to Show Wethers— Best Class to Fit— Feeding Wethers — ^Best Grain Mixture to Feed — ^Fitting Yearling Wethers — ^Fitting Wether Lambs — Symptoms of Founder — Remedy for Founder — Trimming Wether Lambs — Selecting Block Winners 197

X Sheep Management Breeds and Judging,

CHAPTER XL

The Art and Method of Judging Sheep.

Judging Sheep at Fairs, in the Classroom, or on the Farm — Few Fitted to Judge — General Directions for Judging — Score Card for Mutton Sheep — ^Judging Ram Classes — Proper Method of Handling Sheep in Judging — Examining the Head and Determining the Age — Watch for Horns or a Goiter — Examining the Thickness and Length of Neck — ^The Shoulder Vein — Noting the Depth of Chest — Measuring the Width of the Heart Girth — Covering, Width, and Straightness of Back — Measuring the Width and Thickness of Loin — Noting the Width of Rump — Examining the Depth of Twist — A Large Leg of Mutton Desirable — Examining the Fleece and Skin on the Shoulder— Noting the Quality of Wool on the Thigh 221

CHAPTER Xn.

Classification of the Breeds of Sheep.

Medium or Middle Wools — ^The Shropshire — ^The Oxford —

The Hampshire — ^The Southdown — ^The Dorset Horn—

The Cheviot— The Suffolk— The Tunis. Long or Coarse Wools — ^The Cotswold — ^The Lincoln — ^The

Leicester — ^The Romney Marsh or Kent. The Black-faced Highland — ^The Corriedale — Other Long

and Middle Wools.

Fine Wools — ^The American Merino — ^The Delaine Merino —

The Rambouillet — Grades of Market Sheep 249

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Plate Page

Frank Kleinheinz Frontispiece

1 First prize and champion Cheviot ewe lamb VI

2 Group of yearling wethers XIV

3 Sheep on Campus, University of Wisconsin 3

4 Montana ewes and their lambs 6

5 Pure-bred Southdown ram 8

6 Southdown prize winners at International 1913 12

7 Champion Shropshire flock 14

8 The wrong and the right way to catch a sheep 20

9 The wrong and the right way to lead a sheep 22

10 Carrying a lamb or a small sheep 24

11 Setting a heavy sheep on its rump 26

12 Examining the teeth of a sheep 27

13 The different ages of sheep, as shown by the front

teeth ._ 28

14 Parting a sheep's lips to determine the age 30

15 Sheep barn at the University of Wisconsin 32

16 Exercising the pregnant ewes . 38

17 Pure-bred Southdown wether lambs 42

18 First prize flock of Southdowns 46

19 University flocks "Hooverizing" on Randall Field 54

20 Pure-bred Shropshire wether lamb, winner at Inter-

national 1917 56

21 Three-months-old twin Shropshire lambs 62

22 Lamb creep and feed troughs in sheep barn 66

23 Grain trough for lambs 67

24 Feed trough for hay and grain 67

25 Feeding lambs from a bottle 70

26 Marking the lamb with the Dana ear label 73

27 Grade ewe lambs ; result of using pure-bred ram with

western range ewes, 76

28 How a lamb is docked with hot pinchers 78

29 How to hold a lamb for docking 81

30 Milking a ewe with two hands 85

31 Dipping sheep 88

32 Shearing sheep with a shearing machine 92

XII Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

Plate Page

33 An unusually heavy fleece 95

34 Trimming the hoof wilh a jack knife 101

35 Pruning knife, or clippers, for trimming feet 102

36 Different stages of wool between fleece and yarn 104

37 Drenching bottle 112

38 Drenching a large sheep 113

39 Drenching a smaU sheep ' 114

40 Southdown show wethers, 1915 118

41 First prize pen grade Shropshire wethers. Internation-

42 Yearling wethers fitted for 1914 show 126

43 Champion Rambouillet ram and ewe 132

44 Group of yearling wethers 138

45 Pure-bred Southdown yearling wethers 142

46 Pen of five grade yearling wethers 152

47 Champion Cheviot and Rambouiflet yearling wethers 156

48 First prize pen of grade Shropshire yearling wethers. 162

49 The difference between a good and poor sire 168

50 Grade Dorset ewes and their lambs 170

51 A sheep properly crated for shipment 174

52 First prize pen of grade Shropshire wether lambs 176

53 Champion Southdown yearling wether 179

54 Champion pure-bred Cheviot yearling wether, before

and after trimming 188

55 Champion pure-bred Oxford yearling wether, before

and after trimming 190

56 Champion grade Shropshire yearling wether . 198

57 Pure-bred Shropshire yearling wether 201

58 Pair of Southdown yearling wethers 205

59 Champion pure-bred Southdown yearling wether 208

60 Grand champion pure-bred Southdown yearling

wether 210

61 Champion pure-bred Cheviot yearling wether_____^_ 212

62 Sheep showing butcher cuts 214

63 A good and an inferior lamb carcass 215

64 Prize-winning dressed carcasses at the International,

1913 216

List of Illustrations. xiii

Plate Page

65 Prize-winning dressed lamb carcasses at the Inter-

national, 1913 217

66 The shepherd's reward 220

67 Judging the head 230

68 Feeling for horns or a goiter 232

69 Examining the thickness of neck 233

70 Noting the shoulder vein. 234

71 Estimating depth of chest 236

72 Measuring the heart girth 237

73 Examining the back 238

74 Measuring the loin 240

75 Noting size of rump 241

76 Measuring the depth of twist ^ 243

77 The size of the leg of mutton 244

78 Examining the fleece and skin 246

79 Noting wool quality on thigh 247

80 Champion Shropshire yearling ram and ewe lamb 252

81 Champion Oxford ram and ewe 256

82 Champion Hampshire ram and yearling ewe 259

83 Undefeated Southdown ram and ewe 262

84 First prize Dorset ram and ewe lamb 264

85 First prize Cheviot ram lamb 267

86 A typical Cheviot ewe 268

87 A champion Suffolk ram___ 271

88 Champion flock of Suffolk ewes 272

89 A champion Tunis ram 274

90 A champion Tunis ewe 275

91 Grand champion Cotswold yearling ram and ewe 278

92 First prize Lincoln ram and ewe lamb 282

93 First prize Leicester ram and ewe lamb 284

94 A champion Romney Marsh ram 286

95 A champion Romney Marsh ewe 287

96 Champion Black-faced Highland ram 288

97 Prize-winning Corriedale ram and ewe 290

98 High-class American Merino ram and ewe 292

99 A typical Delaine Merino ram and ewe 294

1 00 Champion Rambouillet ram and ewe 296

. • • -

INTRODUCTION

I'HE SHEPHERD AND HIS CALLING.

The young man with a born love for sheep is the one, as a rule, who will strive in his younger years either to find employment with some flockowner, or perhaps to engage for himself in sheep husbandry. He likes sheep, he likes to feed and take care of them. Such men, when they have learned the details connected with the business, are those who achieve the best results.

It makes no difference what breed of sheep a shepherd handles; to be successful he must practice the secrets which are the keynote to success if steadily followed, or on the other hand, which when slighted, lead to certain failure in the business. Let me mention a few of these secrets:

1. The shepherd must be kind at all times to every member of his flock.

r. He must practice cleanliness, which means to keep feed troughs clean and sweet and not let them become filthy with manure, thereby causing a disagreeable odor.

3. He must be punctual, which means to keep regular feeding hours.

• • • • -

XVI Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

4. He must use good, sound judgment in the every-day work.

5. He must feed liberally and not hold the wrong idea that sheep can live on little or nothing.

Wherever these few points are constantly observed and practiced, there need be no fear that misfortunes will come to the flock. Most of the failures in sheep husbandry may be attributed directly to carelessness and negligence on the part of the shepherd, for no breed of sheep will do well under the management of a shiftless man. A disinterested shepherd who has no interest in the welfare of his flock is just as bad as dogs that get among the flock and destroy them. Many times a shepherd does not think and does not use a little common horse sense, and then attributes everything that has gone wrong to bad luck. When we see a poor flock we generally find a poor shepherd back of it.

Many of these would be benefited if they could take a trip to England and learn from the successful flock owners of that country how they handle their flocks, and after studying their method? of raising sheep, on their way back, could go thr >ugh Canada and especially through Ontario and see how our Canadian friends conduct the business. While once in a while unfavorable conditions and environment may bring about trouble, in the ma-

The Shepherd and His Calling, xvii

jority of cases the fault lies with the shepherd himself and is so often wrongly called *'bad luck." If he does not care to handle his flock of breeding ewes during winter in such a manner as to assure the largest percentage of lambs, and is not willing to sit up part of the night during lambing time, he is not worth having around the flock. He must really feel proud of his success and must feel ashamed of things which have gone wrong through his fault. The best shepherds of today are not conceited over their success, but feel that there is still a little more to be learned. If a shepherd cannot at any time agree with his employer he will never take the best interest in his flock. A shepherd who walks through the sheep-fold without the necessary sharpness to detect an ill sheep in the flock is by no means the right kind of a shepherd. Another one that sees an aihng sheep, but has not energy enough to care for it at once, is just as bad or worse than the first man mentioned.

When a man docs not mind the bleat of a sheep or lamb that wants more feed, salt, or water, he has not the true spirit of a shepherd. Neither is he worthy of the name of shepherd if he does not do at once those things which should be attended to, but says he will do them tomorrow or some other time. The man who is not aware of the

XVIII Sheep ManagemenU Breeds and Judging.

danger of sheep becoming infested with maggots during hot weather and fly time, when some poor innocent sheep may be eaten alive by these pests, must certainly be a very poor shepherd or flockmaster. Another who does not dip his sheep and lets ticks or lice constantly annoy and feed on them is just as cruel to his flock as the one who starves his sheep to death. If a shepherd likes to be away from his flock as much as possible he is not the one who has the thrift and welfare of it at heart; such a man had better engage in some other line of work.

Is it not good practice to go through the pasture once a day, where the sheep are grazing, to see whether a fine broad-backed ewe has not turned over on her back, with her four legs up, in a little depression in the ground, where she will die if she is not freed from* this position? The shepherd who does not care about the loss of a sheep or lamb should no longer have charge of the flock. The men who do not see the importance of keeping their sheep out of cold rains and storms in late fall, winter, and early spring often have to suff'er the loss of one or more members of their flock. The shepherd who has not learned the necessity of keeping the hoofs of his flock in proper trim and shape will cause much trouble in his flock and will reduce his profits. If he is not careful to avoid

The Shepherd and His Calling. xix

feeding moldy and spoiled feed of any kind to his flock, he is not a true shepherd; neither is the man who feeds frozen roots or frozen corn silage, both of which often prove fatal. Whoever believes that the best results can be obtained by merely looking at a flock, and does not go to work, is badly mistaken.

If the shepherd does not supply his flock with fresh, pure water every day in the year, but shares the opinion of quite a number of men that sheep need little or no water, he should learn as early as possible that sheep require water just as well as any other farm animal. Where the flock is allowed to drink from old stagnant water pools, the shepherd runs the risk of having his flock infested with all sorts of parasites. Failure to rub pine tar on the sheeps' noses during fly time, or to supply this in the salt trough, as is recommended elsewhere in this book, may result in the flock becoming infested with grub in the head. No flock-master can have the best results in sheep husbandry without providing some succulent feeds, such as roots, cabbage, or good, sweet corn silage, for his flock during the winter months.

The shepherd who is not aware of the serious danger of narrow doors in the sheep barn, which result in broken-down hips, pregnant ewes being induced to drop their lambs before they are due,

XX Sheep ManagemenU Breeds and Judging.

and young lambs getting squeezed, trampled dow n, and killed in the rush by the older sheep, and who does nothing to prevent this evil, lacks good judgment, and is responsible for any loss incurred in this way. If a shepherd fits sheep and goes into the show ring simply to be there among the other shepherds to keep them company, and if he is not possessed with the strongest desire to win the best prizes offered, he had better stay at home and save money for his employer.

To make a long story short, a good faithful shepherd looks to every detail of his work, and has his mind, heart, and soul with his flock at all times. He leaves nothing undone which promotes the thrift and welfare of each individual sheep. He likes to talk with other successful shepherds about sheep and tries to learn the better methods. He is loyal to his employer, and works for his best interest and largest profit. His happiest hours are spent among his flock, watching young lambs grow and old ones do well. Some of the greatest men in the Old Testament were true, faithful shepherds.

Shepherd's Guide xxi

Slieplierd's- Guide

Careful flockmasters follow these simple rules and practices to insure kealtky and profitable flocks.

1. Cull the flock, sell all broken-mouthed ewes, and any other ewes that have not proved good producers.

2. Oet the ewe flock in good condition before breeding begins. This insures more twins.

3. To make service easy tag all ewes before turning in ram.

4. Use a good, vigorous, piu'e-bred ram and do not breed more than 60 ewes to him in a season.

6. Do not use a ram lamb for breeding unless circumstances necessitate and he is unusually well-developed. If used he should not serve more than 8 to 12 ewes. Never breed ewe lambs.

6. Remove ram from flock as soon as the breeding season is over.

XXII Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

SbepberGi s Guide — Continued

7. Exercise pregnant ewes as much as possible. Keep them well-sheltered, however, in wet or stormy weather.

8. Do not feed timothy or marsh hay . Clover or alfalfa are best (feed all that the flock will eat without waste). Feed com silage or roots, 2 to 2)^ pounds a head daily, to supply succulence.

9. Do not feed mouldy or frozen silage or spoiled roots to sheep. It will cause much trouble and often kill the sheep.

10. Feed some grain at least a month before lambing, 3^ pound of a mixture of equal parts of oats and bran a head daily is very helpful.

11. Oive close attention to the ewes at lambing time. It will save many lambs, and occasionally a mother which otherwise might die, if no help is given.

12. Pen ewe and new bom lambs away from flock for a few days to prevent her from disowning them.

Shepherd's Guide xxiii

Shepherci s Guide — Continued

13. Increase the succulent feed and the grain for ewes the third day after lambing.

14. Castrate ram lambs on a bright day when one to two weeks old. Dock all lambs about a week later. Docking pinchers are recommended.

16. Wean the lambs at 43^ to 5 months of age and do not let them wean themselves. Retain all best ewe lambs for the future flock.

16. Shear the flock just as soon as the weather is warm enough to cause them to suffer from the heat. Use paper twine for tying wool.

17. Dip the whole flock about 10 days after shearing. This is very essential. Any of the standard dips may be used.

18. Feed the flock liberally.

19. Avoid parasites by changing pastures frequently. Do not allow sheep to drink stagnant water.

XXIV Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

Skepkerci s Guide — Continued

20. Be on the lookout for maggots in hot weather and fly-time.

21. Provide a patch of Dwarf Essex rape to furnish feed when pastures are short.

22. Good woven wire fences are necessary. Dogproof corrals safeguard sheep at night.

23. Never keep sheep on low marshy or very sandy land.

24. Provide shade for the flock in summer.

26. Supply the flock with fresh water and salt at all times. Give attention to all details and success is assured.

(Refer to index to flnd a more complete discussion of these subjects.)

J J J ' J J ■> J

Chapter I. Establishing The Flock

THE VALUE OF SHEEP ON THE FARM.

It is generally known that, when properly managed, sheep are most profitable animals on the farm. They do not require nearly so much labor as other farm animals, especially in the summer, when the farmer is the busiest, cultivating, haying, and harvesting. Another advantage is that no expensive building is necessary for properly sheltering and housing them. Likewise the outlay of capital needed to start a flock of sheep is small compared with that required for other stock. With good prices for wool, a breeding ewe will pay for her maintenance during the year with her fleece, and will raise one or two lambs, or perhaps even

three, which are net profit to the owner. With the steadily increasing demand for good mutton and

the good prices paid for the same, it can easily be

seen that sheep husbandry pays well, if handled

in the right way.

Sheep are economical producers, and require

less feed for the production of a pound of gain

than the average for other classes of live stock.

They have no equals as weed destroyers, for they

2" • Shkep U'anhgemenU Breeds and Judging.

eat nearly all of the numerous weeds and grasses which grow on the farm. The manure from sheep is worth much more per ton as fertilizer than that of any other class of farm animals except poultry. Moreover, when on pasture, sheep spread their manure more evenly than other stock. Indeed, no spreader has as yet been invented that does such perfect work as the sheep themselves. These animals never impoverish the land upon which they tread, but on the contrary build it up and improve it. For this reason the sheep is called the "Golden Hoof."

In pointing out the advantages of sheep husbandry it is not the writer's intention to urge farmers to give up all other classes of farm animals and stock up with sheep, but he wishes simply to emphasize the idea that at least a few sheep can very profitably be kept on almost all farms which are located on dry land. Sheep, however, will not thrive on marshy land.

A SMALL FLOCK FOR BEGINNERS.

It would not be wise for anyone not thoroughly familiar with sheep husbandry to start in with a large flock, for many troubles and obstacles arise which have to be overcome, and the remedies must be learned by practical experience, as all of them cannot be found in books. Many people who started in the business loo heavily have made a failure of it, and consequently have been compelled to drop the undertaking. The proper procedure is to start in with a small flock and gradually increase the number, as one's knowledge of the care and management of sheep enlarges.

Plate 3. Part of the University of Wisconsin flock on the campus near Agriogltural Hall, right after sheaririR.

One of the greatest drawbacks to sheep husbandi-y in many sections of the country at the present time is the dog problem. It is to be hoped, however, that in every state of our country laws will be enacted similar to the laws of some states, which will do away with many of the worthless mongrel curs that cause enormous damage by killing sheep, and have frightened many small flockowners out of the business.

THE SCRUB RAM UNPROFITABLE.

Flockmasters should avoid the practice of using the grade or scrub ram, for wherever such a ram is used no improvement in the offspring can be expected. Indeed, in many cases the vitality, conformation, and strength* of a flock is reduced by using an inferior grade or scrub ram for breeding. Therefore, the scrub ram, like the scrub stallion, must be driven out of the country, and more scientific and intelligent breeding must be followed if present conditions are to be improved.

It is shameful that there are so many flocks of inferior breeding and quality throughout nearly all parts of our country. Flocks of this type demand more feed and care than flocks of good breeding. Moreover, does not rearing good stock aff*ord the farmer much greater pleasure and more encouragement than raising the inferior class commonly called "scrubs*'? Does he not also know that high grade animals will return far greater profit than scrubs? The writer has spent many of the happiest hours in his life in taking care of high class animals, but he would have found no pleasure in caring for inferior ones.

It is thus evident that flockmasters should in all cases use a pure-bred ram. Not every one of these, however, is a good individual, although he may have a pedigree td his credit. Some registered rams are very inferior in type and conformation, and will not make any improvement in a flock. Breeders would improve the sheep industry if they would use the knife, and castrate all inferior buck lambs and sell them for mutton, as such rams do not uplift sheep breeding, but on the other h|ind degrade it.

THE SELECTION OF TH^ -RAM.

It has been demonstrated that the ram is half, or as some breeders say, ^ven more than half of the flock. The writer fully agrees with this statement, as he has often observed surprisingly good results from using a first-class sire on the most common kind of females. It is doubtful whether in any other line of animal breeding such rapid improvement can be accomplished by the use of good sires as in the case of sheep breeding. The best sires are none too good.