CORNELL UNIVERSITY.

THE

Koswell P. Flower Library
: THE GIFT OF
ROSWELL P. FLOWER
FOR THE USE OF
THE N. Y. STATE VETERINARY COLLEGE.
1897

 

 
Ornell University Libra: ry
SF 375.K6

Sheep management, breeds and judging: at

i HUNAN

3 19
FRANK KLEINHEINZ

Completed 26 rs of servi in charge of the University of
Flocks, April 8, 19

 
SHEEP MANAGEMENT
BREEDS AND JUDGING

A TEXTBOOK

FOR THE

SHEPHERD AND STUDENT

BY

FRANK KLEINHEINZ

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

THIRD EDITION
REVISED AND ENLARGED

Published by the Author
MADISON, WISCONSIN
1916

My
COPYRIGHT 1916
By FRANK KLEINHEINZ

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Cantwell Printing Company
Madison, Wisconsin
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, compre-
hensible, 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 require-
ments of the student in the classroom.

Numerous inquiries from flockowners from
many sections of the country for information rela-
tive 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, both of the
College of Agriculture of the University of Wiscon-
sin, 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 man-
agement of the flock, illustrations showing a practi-
cal method of judging sheep, together with de-
scriptions 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, Ger-
many, 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 fur-
nished 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 man 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 at-
tention, 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. Vv

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 furnish-
ing some of the photographs of prize winners.
CONTENTS

PAGE
PréfaG@tin. 022 Soe os See Sie hee ek eae eee Ill
List of DlWstrations. .. .. 2. 2. 22 22 oe ee se ee ee ee XI
INTRODUCTION.
THe SHEPHERD AND His CALLING.___-_-_--______-_----_- XV
CHAPTER I.

ESTABLISHING THE FLOCK.

Value of Sheep on the Farm—Small Flock for Begin-
ners—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
BRIGG) s-ceu Fe tno eee ee ese Sees 1

CHAPTER ILI.
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
SCC Dee er ie a ee Re Be th 19

CHAPTER III.
WINTER CARE AND FEEDING.

Winter Grain for Ewe Flock—Amount of Grain to be
Fed—Succulent Feeds—Roughage—Winter Quar-
ters—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—
vul 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

CHAPTER IV.
REARING THE LAMBS.

The Lamb Creep—Grain Ration—Cow’s Milk for Lambs—
Raising Lambs by Hand—Muarking the Lambs—Castrat-
ing the Lambs—Method of Castration—Docking the
Lambs—Weaning the Lambs—Care of Lambs After
Weaning—Care of the Ewe After Weaning—Goiter on
PFET See 3 22 hes pel tet Man Re Can eel Wael etn each 3 ay nag

CHAPTER V.

SHEARING AND DipPpING THE FLOCK.

 

Shearing Sheep—Tying Up the Fleece—Shearing Ewes
Before or After Lambing—Dipping a Necessity—Trim-
TUE NETO G ata nt eres shin ala hee <tr eee ee ee

CHAPTER VI.
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—Colie or Stretches
—Wethers With Sore Sheaths—Maggots—Cause—Pre-
vention—Treatment... 200 2 <2 oe ote ae ee ee sees

 

 

 

CHAPTER VII.
SUMMER FEEDING AND CARE.

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

33

61

89

105
Contents. IX

the Lamb Flock—Care at Breeding Time—Necessity of
Salt—Burdocks and Sandburs—Dangers of Dead Fur-
rows—Number of Sheep to the Acre_____-_-_--------- 131

CHAPTER VIII.
FEEDING SHEEP FOR MARKET.

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

CHAPTER IX.
Firrinc 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.
Firtinc WETHERS FOR SHOWS.

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

 

 
aS Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

CHAPTER NI.
Tue Art AND METHOD OF JUDGING SHEEP.

Judging Sheep at Fairs, in the Classroom, or on the Farm—
Few Fitted lo 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—Noling 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____ *

CHAPTER NII.
CLASSIFICATION OF THE BREEDS OF SHEEP.

Medium or Middle Wools—Tnz2 Saropshire—Tne 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 Rambouill2t—Grades of Market Sheep

TWO, Sccusserislasee ss Dedes
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Plate Page
1 Frank Kleinheinz.___________..--.--_-_-__------- XIV
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 lo 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

HEC GUE Tih Sas Sas shes haath ean Nah ce ale gia Spe aloes sha ire 28

14 Parting a sheep’s lips to determine the age_________ 30

15 Sheep barn at the University of Wisconsin__--_--_-- ae

16 Exercising the pregnant ewes________________-_-_- 38

17 First prize Hampshire ram and ewe lamb__-__.------ A2

18 First prize flock of Southdowns_________-__---_--_- 46

19 Assisting the ewe in lambing_____-____-_____-_----- 54

20 Flushing out the ewe after lambing__________---_-_- 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 ~=Castrating the lamb____________-_-_-_-_-_------- 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

Bi. Dipping sheep... soc a2 c ce cet Seses coe Soe 88

32 Shearing sheep with a shearing machine___________- 92

33 An unusually heavy fleece_....._-.---------------- 95
xu Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

Plate Page
3 Trimming the hoof with a jack knife_--..---------- 101
35 Pruning knife, or clippers, for trimming feel__------ 102
36 Different stages of wool between fleece and yarn__-- 104
37 Drenching bottle._.....__----------------------- oe

38 Drenching a large sheep__------------------------

39 Drenching a small sheep_----.------------------- 114
40 Southdown show wethers, 1915__----------------- 118
41 First prize pen grade Shropshire wethers, Internation-

il, MOUS ad Se ren yed Sun ees SEIS IAS SHE 122
42 Yearling wethers fitted for 1914 show__------------ 126
43 Champion Rambouillet ram and ewe__------------ 132
44 Group of yearling wethers___.-.------------------ 138
45 First prize pure-bred Shropshire wether lamb------- 142
46 First prize pen of grade Shropshire wether lambs---- 152
47 Second prize pure-bred Shropshire yearling wether-_ 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___----- 2 aaa 2 174
52 First prize pen of grade Shropshire wether lambs---- 176
53 Champion Southdown yearling welher______-_------ 179
54. Champion pure-bred Cheviot yearling wether, before

and afler trimming._..___..__.___.___.------ sc 188
55 Champion pure-bred Oxford yearling wether, before

and after WiMiiiie.se 2 oe ee see eee ee cous 190
56 Champion grade Shropshire yearling wether________ 198
97 Champion pure-bred Hampshire yearling wether____ 201
58 Pair of Southdown yearling wethers_____-_________- 205
599 Champion pure-bred Southdown yearling wether__._ 208
60 Grand champion pure-bred Southdown yearling

WE UN CIe 5 iste aye Riese A me A poe ge eee De 210
61 Champion pure-bred Cheviot yearling wether______- 212
62 Sheep showing bulcher culs_____________________- Pa.
63 A good and an inferior lamb carcass__.___________- 215
64 Prize-winning dressed carcasses at the International,

WATS 2 ct te eat fae Sp he 0 reg ray Series rags, A ogc adand 216

65 Prize-winning dressed lamb careasses al the Inter-
Nationals LOWS ore ie et neh anne ese 217
List of Illustrations.

Plate

66 The Shepherd’s reward
67 Judging the head. 2.200003 oe os aa Dee Skee
68 Feeling for horns or a goiter________.__._________-
69 Examining the thickness of neck
70 Noting the shoulder vein____.____________-_______-
71 Estimating depth of chest
72 Measuring the heart girth
73 Examining the back
74 Measuring the loin-___________._________-__--__-
75 Noting size of ruamp_____-_________________-------
76 Measuring the depth of twist
77 The size of the leg of mutton_____.________-___-___-
78 Examining the fleece and skin
79 Noting wool quality on thigh___.__.____-_-_-_-___-
80 Champion Shropshire yearling ram and ewe lamb__-
81 Champion Oxford ram and ewe_________-__-_-___-_-
82. Champion Hampshire ram and yearling ewe____--_-
83 Undefeated Southdown ram and ewe___...-__-----
84 First prize Dorset ram and ewe lamb
85 First prize Cheviot ram lamb
86 A typical Cheviot ewe_________________-___--_-__-
87 A champion Suffolk ram_________-_-_------_-_--_-
88 Champion flock of Suffolk ewes
89 A champion Tunis ram
90 A champion Tunis ewe___.._____-.---------------
91 Grand champion Cotswold yearling ram and ewe_-.-
92 First prize Lincoln ram and ewe lamb_______-_-----
93 First prize Leicester ram and ewe lamb_-__---------
94 A champion Romney Marsh ram____---------------
95 A champion Romney Marsh ewe____--------------
96 Champion Black-faced Highland ram __________-_-
97 Prize-winning Corriedale ram and ewe______-__-___-
98 High-class American Merino ram and ewe.______-_-
99 A typical Delaine Merino ram and ewe___--______-
100 Champion Rambouillet ram and ewe____________--

241
243
244
246
247
252
256
259
262
264
267
268
271
272
274
275
278
282
284
“OIGL JO [BuoTeUsojJUT
OY) AOF UISUOSSTM, JO APISIOAIUL) OY] PL UOIFRIedoId JopuN Soom Hurpieod Jo dnosis yw

 

 

 

 

 
INTRODUCTION
‘THE 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 hus-
bandry. 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 prac-
tice 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 busi-
ness. Let me mention a few of these secrets:

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

2. 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 ob-
served 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 every-
thing 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 success-
ful flock owners of that country how they handle
their flocks, and after studying their methods of
raising sheep, on their way back, could go through
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 him-
self 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 ashepherd cannot at any lime 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 ailing
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 does 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
xvinl_ Sheep Management, 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 flock-
master. 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 that do not see the importance of keep-
ing their sheep out of cold rains and storms in late
fall, winter, and early spring often have to suffer
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. IXX

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 mis-
taken.

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 shep-
herd 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 in-
fested with grub in the head. No flock-master can
have the best results in sheep husbandry without
providing some succulent feeds, such as roots, cab-
bage, or good, sweet corn silage, for his flock dur-
ing 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 Management, Breeds and Judging.

and young lambs getting squeezed, trampled down,
and killed in the rush by the older sheep, and who
does nothing to prevent this evil, lacks good judg-
ment, 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 shep-
herd 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 in-
terest 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.
CHAPTER I.
ESTABLISHING THE FLOCK.

THE VALUE OF SHEEP ON THE FARM.

It is generally known that, when properly man-
aged, 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, hay-
ing, 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

1 (1)
2 Sheep Management, 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 ani-
mals 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 hus-
bandry it is not the writer’s intention to urge far-
mers 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
Establishing the Flock. 3

started in the business too heavily have made a
failure of it, and consequently have been com-
pelled to drop the undertaking. The proper pro-
cedure is to start in with a small flock and gradu-
ally inerease the number, as one’s knowledge of

the care and management of sheep enlarges.

 

Puiate 3. Part of the University of Wisconsin flock on the campus
“ snear Agricultural Tall, right after shearing.

One of the greatest drawbacks to sheep hus-
bandry in many sections of the country at the pres-
ent 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 kill-
ing sheep, and have frightened many small flock-

owners out of the business.
4 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

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, con-
formation, and strength of a flock is reduced by
using an inferior grade or scrub ram for breed-
ing. Therefore, the scrub ram, like the scrub stal-
lion, 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 de-
mand more feed and care than flocks of good
breeding. Moreover, does not rearing good stock
afford the farmer much greater pleasure and more
encouragenient than raising the inferior class com-
monly 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 pleas-
ure 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 to his credit. Some registered
Establishing the Flock. 5

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 hand
degrade it.
THE SELECTION OF THE RAM.

It has been demonstrated that the ram is half, or
as some breeders say, even 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 improve-
ment can be accomplished by the use of good sires
as in the case of sheep breeding. The best sires
are none too good.

The first illustration in Plate + shows four Mon-
tana ewes bought on the range some years ago for
$2.25 per head. These ewes were very thin when
purchased and were just “sheep,” for they showed
no evidence of belonging to any particular breed.
By the use of the pure-bred Southdown ram, which
is shown in Plate 5, the seven fine, well-built
lambs were raised in one season from the four
ewes. One of these lambs was good enough to
win the second prize at the International in a class
 

 

 

 

 

Puare 4. (a) Four Montana ewes bought on the range for $2.25 per
head. (b) Seven lambs raised from these ewes in one season. ‘Their
sire was a pure-bred.
Establishing the Flock. 7

where 38 lambs were shown. These lambs show
in a striking manner what great improvement can
be made by the use of a good sire on the most in-
ferior females.

When selecting a breeding ram of a mutton
breed, one should know and bear in mind the
ideal of a well-built ram, possessing the right type,
so as to be able at once to distinguish the good ram
from the inferior one. The points of a good ram
are as follows: He should possess lots of vigor
and vitality, which is indicated by a short, broad
head, large nostrils, bold eyes, breadth on the poll
or top of the head, a short, thick neck, a wide and
deep chest, broad, level shoulders—smooth on top,
and a well-developed forearm. His forelegs should
be straight and short, and set well apart. He
should be broad and deep in the heart girth, which
insures good constitution. A broad, straight back,
with well-sprung ribs, is very essential. A smooth,
wide, and thick loin adds greatly to the value of a
sire. He should also have a long, level, and wide
rump, with a full, deep twist. His hind legs, like
his forelegs, should be short, straight, and wide
apart, and the flank should be thick and low, form-
ing a straight side line as well as a straight under-
line. The skin should be of a pink color, and the
fleece long, fine, and dense, depending, of course,
upon the particular breed to which he belongs.
8 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

Style and carriage are other strong points in a
good ram. The fact that rams of nearly all the
middle and long wool breeds should be free from

 

 

 

 

Piare 5. Pure-bred Southdown ram. Sire of the seven lambs from
Montana ewes.

horns, stubs, or scurs, should not be overlooked.
Dorsets and Cheviots are exempt from this rule.
The ram should show masculinity in his head and
have strong bone.
Establishing the Flock. 9

Heavily fitted show rams have often failed to
be breeders, or if they did breed, they produced
small, weak lambs. Flockmasters are, therefore,
warned not to purchase these too heavily fitted or
“overdone” rams. A good, so-called “field” ram,
in proper condition, generally gives the best re-
sults in breeding.

THE AGE OF THE RAM TO USE.

A ram of the middle and long wool breeds is
sufficiently developed and fit for service at the
age of one and one-half years, being then called a
“yearling.” While it is common among breeders
to buy yearling rams for service, it may be of in-
terest to flockmasters to know that it has been
found here at the Wisconsin Experiment Station,
where every lamb is weighed at birth, that lambs
sired by rams which were older than yearlings are
heavier, on an average, than those from yearlings.

Sheep breeders very often make a mistake by
using a ram lamb for breeding. Such a practice
is detrimental to their own interests and profit. A
sheep makes its most growth the first year of its
life; and hence it can readily be seen that when a
lamb, only about six to eight months old, is bred
to a lot of ewes, its own development is very
much hindered. Ram lambs, when heavily used,
have often proved to be non-breeders afterwards.
10 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

Therefore, the up-to-date sheep breeder never uses
ram lambs for breeding, or at least only in rare
cases. For instance, a breeder buys an exceed-
ingly good ram lamb for a high price, which he
intends to use as a yearling in his flock, and he
may be very anxious to see the offspring from it.
In such a case, it might be allowable to breed this
ram lamb to three or perhaps even five ewes, but,
of course, it would be better if the lamb is not
used at all. The reason why so many ram lambs
are used for breeding is that farmers can purchase
a lamb a little cheaper than a yearling, but the
few extra dollars saved in the purchase price are
doubly lost at the other end. In the writer’s opin-
ion it is far better to buy a yearling ram instead
of a lamb, because the yearling has nearly reached
full development and with proper care will not
change his form. In the case of the lamb, how-
ever, its future development cannot in all cases
be correctly predicted, as lambs often change
markedly in conformation. Indeed, the best of
lambs have often turned out to be poor yearlings.

THE CARE OF THE RAM IN SUMMER.

To let the ram run with the flock during the
summer and fall is not the best practice. The ram
is more or less restless when in company with
breeding ewes, and ewes often become pregnant
Establishing the Flock. 11

and give birth to lambs at times when it is not de-
sirable to have them come. It is a much better
plan to keep the ram isolated from the flock. He
can be turned into a paddock or small field where
he will find enough grass to keep him in good con-
dition. It is important that the ram have shade
and fresh water where he is kept in summer, and
salt is also another requisite for him. Towards
fall when the weather gets colder and chilling rains
frequently make it unpleasant, the ram should be
housed during the night at least, for many valu-
able breeding rams have become stiff and rheu-
matic at this season, disabling them at the time
needed for service, and ruining them for life.

THE RAM IN THE FALL.

It is customary to turn the ram with the flock of
ewes when breeding is to begin. Although this
plan is permissible, a more satisfactory method,
where time will permit, is to follow what is termed
“hand coupling.” In hand coupling the flock of
ewes to be bred to one ram is brought each morn-
ing to an enclosure where the ram is turned with
them. The shepherd watches the ram closely, and
as soon as any ewe has had one service she is
turned out of the enclosure, so that the ram will
pay attention to other ewes in heat. It is not ad-
visable to allow the ram to breed more than three
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Establishing the Flock. 13

ewes in the morning. Therefore, if there should
be more than three in heat in the morning the
rest should be reserved for the evening.

If a ewe should fail to become pregnant from
her first service, she will return in heat again in
from fourteen to nineteen days. However, the
great majority return in sixteen to seventeen days.
Only in three or four cases has the writer known
as long a period as twenty-one days to pass before
ewes returned.

By the method of hand coupling the shepherd
is able to keep a record of the date each ewe be-
comes pregnant. Hence he will know the date
when she is due to lamb. When the ram is allowed
to serve each ewe but once at each time she is in
heat, rather than to serve her half a dozen times,
his vitality and vigor are also saved to a great ex-
tent. Moreover, it is well known that a single serv-
ice is better for the ewe than being bred several
times.

Many sheep breeders who have not time to prac-
tice hand coupling, but nevertheless want to make
sure whether the ram that is turned with the ewe
flock is a breeder, paint him on the brisket be-
tween his forelegs with some color which will
leave a mark of the paint on the wool of the ewe.
This mark indicates that the ewe has been bred.
After eighteen days or three weeks have passed,
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Establishing the Flock. 15

the ram is painted with another color, and in this
way the breeder is enabled to find out whether the
ewes are returning or not. Some breeders put a
different color on the ram the third time, and if all
ewes return after being bred two or three times,
another ram should be secured. The writer has
seen rams that apparently did their duty well and
bred many ewes, but never got a single one with
lamb.

However, even if the first half dozen or so of
ewes served do return, the shepherd need not nec-
essarily worry about the ram’s not being a breeder.
Indeed, the writer has observed that very com-
monly the first few ewes bred by any ram will
return.

It is a peculiar fact that where the ram is left
with the flock he may pay all his attention to one
ewe and entirely neglect others which are in heat,
thereby needlessly wearing out his vitality. In
such a case the ram seems instinctively to take a
liking to this one ewe. All this will be prevented
where hand coupling is followed.

THE NUMBER OF EWES ALLOWED TO ONE RAM.

Not more than fifty to fifty-five ewes should be
bred to one ram in a season. The writer has ob-
served in his many years of experience that even
with this number of ewes to one ram and where
16 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

hand coupling was followed, the last lambs born
were not nearly as strong as those born first. This
emphasizes strongly how unwise it is to allow the
ram to serve too many ewes. On the western
ranges where the rams run at large with the flock,
and where no grain is fed them, only from thirty-
five to forty ewes are allotted to each ram.

FEED FOR THE RAM.

To obtain the best results from a ram, he must
be kept in a strong, vigorous condition. He needs
no grain during the summer months when he has
good pasture, but at least one month before breed-
ing begins he should be given some grain. Noth-
ing can be more highly recommended than a mix-
ture of two parts of oats and one part of bran.
This ration, which is strong in protein, does not
tend to produce much fat. The amount of this
mixture to be fed lies entirely in the feeder’s judg-
ment, for he must distinguish between “thrifty”
and “too fat” condition. No satisfactory results
can be expected from a ram that is too thin, nor
from one that is too fat.

THE RAM IN WINTER.

The ram should be kept away from the breeding
flock in the winter, as in summer, so that he can-
not annoy and bunt the pregnant ewes around, as
Establishing the Flock. 17

he may often otherwise do. If a small amount of
the grain mixture, before mentioned, is given daily
with some good clover or alfalfa hay, and a few
roots or a little corn silage, the ram may be kept
in splendid shape. He can be used for two sea-
sons on the ewes in one flock, and then when a
change has to be made so as not to inbreed him
on his own get, if he has been cared for properly,
he will sell to another breeder for about his origi-
nal cost, or very little less. Mangels and sugar
beets should not be fed to rams or wethers, as
stated elsewhere in this work.

THE EWE FLOCK.

When the flockmaster intends to raise sheep for
mutton and wool production only, a grade flock
should be established. By using a good pure-bred
sire and retaining some of the best ewe lambs in
the flock each year to take the place of the older
ewes that are annually culled out and sold to the
butcher, a fine grade flock may be developed in
the course of four to five years. When a person
desires to raise pure-bred sheep and sell them for
breeding purposes the ewes selected for this work
should be, like the ram, of the highest type, and
best build and conformation for that particular
breed. One may select pure-bred sheep of any
kind to establish a flock, but if he fails to select the

2
18 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

up-to-date type of the breed he chooses, he will
soon learn when it comes to selling for breeding
purposes that he cannot command the highest
prices on account of lack of type. Likewise, if
good type is in evidence, and the right conforma-
tion is lacking, the same thing happens. In rais-
ing pure-breds, start right, and you will always be
right.

It has been stated that it is a mistake to use a
ram lamb for breeding. However, it is a more
serious mistake to breed the ewe lambs. First, one
cannot raise fifty per cent of the lambs from ewe
lambs, since nature has not fitted them to become
mothers at this early age. Lambs born from ewe
lambs are generally small and weak, and in spite
of good care and feeding, the mother too often is
not supplied with enough milk for the young lamb.
Second, if the flockowner follows the practice of
breeding ewe lambs, he will find in a few years
that his flock is degenerating in size, constitution,
and weight of fleece. These are all points worthy
of consideration if success in sheep husbandry
is expected.
CHAPTER II.
GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF THE FLOCK.
THE HANDLING OF SHEEP.

Many flockowners in this country treat their
sheep simply as scavengers on their farms, but in
England, however, they are handled in an entirely
different manner. There the people treat their
sheep as they should be treated, for they have had
many years of experience in sheep husbandry and
have learned to appreciate the value of sheep on
the farm far more than do many people in Amer-
ica. Some men in this country handle their sheep
in a manner that is cruel and really inhuman. The
late Prof. John A. Craig, a friend of the writer and
well known as one of the foremost authorities on
sheep husbandry in America, while once watching
sheep shearers at a large plant in the West, was
witness to the cruelty of some of the brutal shear-
ers toward the sheep. During a short time in their
careless and reckless haste they slashed open the
bellies of three sheep so badly that their intestines
ran out on the shearing floor and the sheep had
to be killed in order to relieve them of the terrible
pain they were suffering. And yet we speak about
humanity!

(19)
20 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

The writer himself could mention many in-
stances of such cruel and barbarous handling of
sheep that he himself has been witness to, but

 

 

 

 

 

PLatre 8. (a) The wrong way to catch a sheep. (b) The right way
to catch it.
‘General Management of the Flock. 21

these things have been done and cannot be altered.
Nothing will be said here about the starvation of
so many poor sheep on the Western ranges dur-
ing the winter months. Let us at least learn to
pick up those pieces of barb wire, broken from
fences, that lie across our lanes, so that sheep will
not daily get tangled, cut their legs, and pull out
their wool. To get all the profit which is possible
out of sheep many such matters, which may seem
like trifles, must be attended to by the shepherd.

CATCHING THE SHEEP.

When the shepherd wishes to catch a sheep he
should grasp it at the proper place, namely, at the
flank. The accompanying illustrations show the
wrong and the right way to catch a sheep. Many
an ignorant flockowner catches and takes hold of
the sheep by the wool, at any place he can get hold
of best, in the manner shown in the first picture.
Men who do this do not realize that the skin of the
sheep is very lightly attached to its flesh, and that
by holding the sheep by the wool in this careless
manner the skin is torn loose from the flesh as far
and a little farther than the hand’s reach, thus in-
juring the innocent sheep. It has been our expe-
rience that it takes the sheep about two months to
recover from the bruise thus caused. On the other
hand, if the sheep is held by the flank, as is shown
22) Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

in the second illustration, no injury whatever is
inflicted, and the largest and strongest ram will
yield and stand still when caught in this manner.

 

 

 

 

PLATE 9. (a) The way too many people try to lead a sheep. (b) The
easiest and right way to lead a sheep.
General Management of the Flock. 23

LEADING THE SHEEP.

We often see farmers trying to lead a sheep by
taking hold of it by its neck, of course also by the
wool, and dragging it along. They make a hard
task of it for themselves, and they certainly make
it most unpleasant for the sheep. When properly
handled all breeds of sheep lead fairly well, with
the exception of the fine wools. These are more
stubborn than the rest, but yet any breed may be
led if the proper method is pursued. If a sheep is
to be led get on its left side, just the same as if
you were going to lead a horse or cow. As is
shown in the accompanying illustration, place your
left arm around its neck, and your right hand on
the end of its tail-head, tickling it just a little there,
and you will find that it will, as a rule, come your
way very quickly, or at times even faster than you
care to have it come.

CARRYING AND LIFTING SMALL SHEEP OR LAMBS.

Occasions often present themselves when it be-
comes necessary to carry small sheep or lambs for
a short distance, or to lift them from one pen into
another. This work may be very easily performed
by lifting the animal in the following manner:
Standing nearly at the rear of the sheep, though
slightly more to the right side, slip the right hand
back of the sheep’s right front leg and place it on
 

 

 

 

Pirate 10. An easy way to carry a lamb or small sheep
without ils struggling.
'

{

General Management of the Flock. 25

the brisket between the two front legs. Now lift
the sheep slightly from the ground with the right
hand to prevent its going forward. Then with the
left hand take hold of the left hind leg just above
the hock and lift the sheep up against your breast,
as is shown in the accompanying illustration where
a 108-pound lamb is being carried. By this method
all struggling is avoided and no harm whatever
done to the sheep.

SETTING A HEAVY SHEEP ON ITS RUMP.

It is a relatively easy task to set a light sheep or
lamb on its rump by simply lifting it up and set-
ting it down on its rump. However, with larger
and heavier sheep, and especially with rams, it
means a little more work and care. Perhaps the
easiest way is to place the left arm around the
sheep’s neck, reaching back with the left hand and
placing it firmly on the right forearm of the sheep.
Now reach across under the sheep with the right
hand, taking hold of the right hind leg just above
the hock. Then the operator should shove against
the sheep with his breast, and by pulling gently
with the hand on the right hind leg, the sheep will
be turned on its rump gently and easily, as is
shown in the illustration which follows. When a
sheep is to rise from this position some men will
allow it to roll over on one of its sides and then
26 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

let it struggle until it is finally able to get its legs
under itself so it can rise. However, if the shep-
herd will push the sheep straight forward on its
front feet when it is sitting on its rump, it will be
able to rise easily and quickly.

 

 

 

 

Puate 11. The proper way to set a heavy sheep on ils rump.

SORE TEETH.

When sheep show irregularity in eating or chew-
ing their cud an examination of their teeth be-
comes necessary. The mouth of a sheep can be
opened by means of two pieces of cloth, each about
General Management of the Flock. 27

two feet long and two inches wide. One of these
should be tied on the upper jaw, the other on the
lower jaw between the
front and back teeth. By
pulling on these two strips
one man will be able to
hold the mouth open while
another examines it, as is
shown in the accompany-
ing illustration.

In case there should be
a loose or badly decayed
tooth that troubles the
sheep in eating, this should
be removed by means of
a small pair of pinchers.
If the outside edge of
one of the back teeth has
grown so long and sharp
that it cuts into the flesh,

 

 

 

PLATE 12. How a sheep's

a file should be taken and jyouth is held open while the
the sharp edge or point
filed off. Many sheep have suffered from sore
teeth without their owners knowing what ailed

teeth are being examined.

them.
THE AGE OF SHEEP.

The age of a sheep can be closely determined
from its teeth. When a sheep has a full set of
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General Management of the Flock. 29

teeth we will find eight of them on its lower jaw in
front, but none on the upper jaw. In the illustra-
tion are shown views of the entire skulls and of
the lower jaws of sheep of different ages. The
lamb’s skull at the left shows its full set of first or
“milk” teeth. These milk teeth are uniform in size
and shape, and are rather narrow. After the lamb
has reached the age of from twelve to fifteen
months the central pair of milk teeth drop out,
and a much larger pair of permanent teeth, or in-
cisors, take their place. The second view shows
the front teeth of a sheep of this age. At the age of
two years another pair of milk teeth, one on each
side of the first pair, will be replaced by another
pair of permanent ones, as is shown in the third
view. A year later the third pair of permanent
teeth will appear, and only one pair of milk teeth
will be left, as is shown in the fourth jaw. At
length when the sheep is about four years old, the
whole set of milk teeth will have been replaced
by a full permanent set, as is shown in the last
view.

We often find that the changes of teeth are
somewhat irregular. For instance, the writer has
seen rare cases where sheep did not change the
first pair of teeth until they were eighteen and in
one case nineteen months old, and then shortly
after the first change had occurred the second took
 

 

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art a sheep’s lips to determine the age.

3 p

The right way to

14.

PLATE
General Management of the Flock. 31

place long before the sheep was two years old.
fleavy forcing in feeding will often hasten the
early changing of the teeth.

At about four years of age, when the last pair
of milk teeth has been replaced and the sheep
has its full set of permanent teeth, the teeth will
again be found more uniform. They will now be
nearly as uniform as the full set of milk teeth the
lamb had at first. However, the permanent teeth
are all larger than the milk teeth and may be worn
so that the corners are rounded off or the tops flat-
tened, while the milk teeth are sharp and square.
From the time the sheep is a yearling until it
reaches the age of four years we do not find uni-
formity in the size and shape of the teeth, as there
are always some of the permanent and some of
the milk teeth present, and the latter are narrower
and comparatively smaller than the permanent
teeth.

After the age of four years no one can tell the
exact age of a sheep by its teeth. However, well-
experienced men can guess pretty closely by the
looks of a sheep’s face whether it is a five, seven,
or eight-year-old. Many times the seven or eight-
year-old has lost some of its teeth, or they may be

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CHAPTER III.
WINTER CARE AND FEEDING.
WINTER GRAIN FOR THE EWE FLOCK.

Sheep will thrive on the grains and roughage
which are grown on the average farm. Breeding
ewes that come into winter quarters in good con-
dition do not need a great deal of grain. The
flockowner should aim not to let them run down
in condition, as is often done. Wherever breeding
ewes are forced to go through a process of starva-
tion in the winter time great loss and all sorts of
trouble appear toward spring and lambing time.
While breeding ewes should not be poor in condi-
tion, it is also a mistake to have them too fat.
However, if the writer had to make a choice be-
tween the two conditions, he would prefer the
latter.

A mixture consisting of one and one-half parts
oats and one part bran has given very satisfactory
results when fed to pregnant ewes. The oats
strengthen the ewes, and the bran is laxative and
serves to keep the digestive organs in good work-
ing order. All fat producing varieties of grain,
such as corn, barley, rye, oilmeal, and cottonseed
meal, cannot be recommended to be extensively

3 (33)
34 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

fed to pregnant ewes, since they have a tendency
to produce a surplus amount of fat inside of the
body, and thus make it difficult for the lamb to
develop properly. When ewes are fed extensively
on these rich grains, in many cases their systems
are heated up and they shed more or less of their
wool long before shearing time.

AMOUNT OF GRAIN TO BE FED.

No man can lay down a definite rule as to the
amount of grain to be fed to a sheep per day, since
they vary in size and condition. It has been found
that one-half pound per day of the grain mixture
already mentioned is sufficient for a medium sized
ewe, weighing from 150 to 170 pounds, during the
winter months. When good alfalfa or clover hay
is fed, in conjunction with some succulent feed,
no grain is needed up to about one month before
lambing time. At this time, however, it becomes
necessary to feed some grain in order to insure a
good milk flow for the young lambs.

SUCCULENT FEEDS.

All succulent feeds tend to keep the bowels of
sheep in excellent condition, and have a general
tonic and regulating effect. Chopped roots are as
good a succulent feed as can be recommended.
They may be chopped up by means of a root
Winter Care and Feeding. 35

pulper, which can be purchased at small cost and
is very useful. Among all the varieties of roots
grown the writer in his experience has found ruta-
bagas the most satisfactory for sheep feeding.
While roots are very good for sheep feeding, al-
though somewhat expensive to grow, there is an-
other succulent feed, namely corn silage, that will
take their place, for sheep relish good sweet corn
silage. Care should be taken when feeding silage
that no spoiled or moldy stuff is fed, which is very
detrimental, nor sour silage, which contains a
great deal of acid and causes colic, stretches, and
scouring. All such silage is dangerous, especially
to pregnant ewes, as it is apt to cause abortion.
Such poor silage fed to ewes after lambing will
also cause the suckling lamb to scour, often result-
ing in death. Good succulent feeds are, however,
very essential for breeding ewes after lambing
time, as they increase the milk production for the
lambs. It is not a safe plan to feed too much suc-
culent feed to pregnant ewes, as it would be re-
sponsible for what are termed large, soft, flabby
lambs, which have no strength or vitality when
born and ultimately die. It has been learned at
this Station that two pounds of succulent feed
(roots or silage) can be fed safely per day to a
pregnant ewe with good results. After lambing
time this amount can be increased. Care must be
36 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

taken that no frozen roots or silage are fed, for
some sheep feeders have experienced bitter losses
of sheep after feeding frozen roots or silage.
Frozen roots chill the stomach, while frozen or
moldy silage may have a poisonous effect. Either
will cause a serious derangement of the digestive

organs.
ROUGHAGE FOR SHEEP IN WINTER.

Sheep like variety in their feed, perhaps more
so than other farm animals. Alfalfa, red clover,
and other leguminous hays are their favorites.
Oats and peas sowed together and made into hay
before they ripen make an excellent winter feed
for sheep. Blue grass hay, oat hay, nice corn fod-
der, and bright, fine oat straw are also relished by
sheep as achange. Timothy and marsh hay should
at no time be offered as feed to sheep. Too much
emphasis cannot be placed upon this statement,
for timothy hay with its coarseness and woodiness
has caused the loss of thousands of sheep annually
in this country from constipation. Another ob.
jection to timothy hay feeding is the fact that the
heads of the timothy force themselves into the
wool, often down to the skin, making the skin itch
very badly and causing the sheep to scratch and
rub on sharp corners. The timothy in the wool
also makes shearing difficult, and wool buyers ob-
ject to such wool and cut down on the price paid
for it.
Winter Care and Feeding. 37

WINTER QUARTERS FOR SHEEP.

Winter quarters for sheep should be of such a
kind that the sheep are dry above and underfoot.
Therefore, when a sheep barn or shed is built it
should be properly located. If possible, a spot of
elevated ground should be selected to provide good
drainage on all sides. There should never be a
time when water runs into the sheep barn during
heavy rains or when snow is melting rapidly in
winter. When sheep are forced, contrary to their
nature, to lie down on a wet floor in a barn rheu-
matism and stiffness in legs and body will soon
set in. Though sheep like dry quarters in winter
they do not prefer too warm a place, as their coat
of wool keeps them sufficiently warm. Another
important factor leading to the welfare of the flock
is to avoid all draughts. Coughing, running at the
nose, and lung diseases are often due to draughts
sweeping through the barn or shed. The barn
should be dry, airy, and well-ventilated, but must
be free from draughts. It should also be well
lighted, since sheep prefer the light and thus do
not thrive so well in a dark place. The barn must
have wide doors, so that the sheep do not get
jammed and injured by rushing through too nar-
row doorways. The results of narrow doorways
are broken-down hips, the squeezing and crushing
“MOT MOUS B YIM Woy} JOJ opel oq ues Yyed ev ‘doap st MoUs oy] UOG MA “‘ppy ey7 ut sopid [jeuss ut

IBVYHNOL WOYY J9}]VB9S OF UBY) JOPUIM OY} SULNP SoMo JURUBIIA OY] 9Si1IX9 0} ABM I9}JOq OU ST dIOY T, [I divid

 

 

 

 

 
Winter Care and Feeding. 39

of little lambs, and the abortion of ewes heavy
with lamb.

Again, plenty of room should be provided for
sheep. A close, cramped condition is very dan-
gerous, especially for pregnant ewes. Some au-
thorities say that from eight to twelve square fect
are not too much room for each breeding ewe.
Of course the amount of space allowed each ewe
will depend somewhat on the size and breed.

LAMBING PENS.

Most sheep breeders provide a separate enclos-
ure in the sheep barn which is divided up into
several small pens called “lambing pens.” In these
are placed the mothers with their newly born
lambs, each family by itself. These lambing pens
are of great value when lambs are born in the cold
winter months, February or March, and prevent
much annoyance from ewes disowning their lambs.

EXERCISE FOR SHEEP IN WINTER.

Too much emphasis cannot be placed on the im-
portance of exercise for pregnant ewes. The
more they walk and move about the stronger and
healthier the lamb crop will be. If pregnant ewes
have lots of exercise they will deliver their lambs
more easily, and to a great extent this will prevent
the lambs from coming wrong end first. The best
40 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

and most satisfactory way to get them to exercise
freely is to haul their roughage out into the field
and spread it in small bunches, so that they will
have to run from one place to another to pick it
up. John Miller, a very prominent and success-
ful sheep breeder in Canada, makes it a point to
have his breeding ewes walk two miles every day
when the weather permits. They leave the home
farm in the morning and walk to an adjoining
farm one mile distant where the hay is fed, and
then return again in the evening.

On all days when the weather is favorable,
breeding ewes should be out of doors for exer-
cise. On all wet, rainy, or stormy days sheep
should never be turned out. The flockmaster must
exercise judgment in this respect. To let the sheep
get their fleeces soaking wet in the winter time is
a grievous mistake. There is not enough warm
sunshine in winter to dry them out again, and
sheep carrying wet coats on their backs are liable
to contract colds or pneumonia, which may result
in death.

Some sheep owners allow their breeding ewes
to exercise by picking on straw stacks. This
method is not advisable, as a great deal of chaff,
dirt, and other material gets into their wool. Oth-
ers force their sheep to make their entire living all
winter long from a straw stack. Such men as
Winter Care and Feeding. 41

these cannot expect their ewes to furnish much
milk for their lambs when born, nor shear a heavy,
clean fleece of wool. Some winters when a deep
snow is on the ground it is difficult to get the ewes
out from the barn any distance at all. Where a
snow plow is kept on the farm a path can then be
made out into the field for sheep to follow. If
such a plow is not available two ten or twelve inch
planks may be fastened together, like a stone boat,
the front end being pointed. A horse may then be
hitched to them, and the driver by standing on
the planks can make a path wide enough to let the
sheep pass through. By all means exercise the
ewes in some manner, in order to insure a good
lamb crop, for the good shepherd spares no effort
in promoting the health and comfort of his breed-
ing flock. The careless one depends largely upon
the season and so-called “good luck,” but good
luck is a result of good judgment and good care.
The returns in both cases are proportionate to the
effort and care given.

The best shepherds in this country claim that
sheep should not be allowed to become wet from
about October 1 to May 1. On the days in winter
when the cold northwest winds are sweeping over
the country, and when the wind almost cuts a
man’s face, sheep are much better off if kept in the
barn. When exposed to these sharp, cold winds
“SEW “OLUBIg UNG “sorg
yuoy AG UMOYS ‘OIG “[BUONeUIOJUT JY] We quep oma puke wes osysdweyy ozud ysuny “ZT Avid

 

SSS
RS

 

 

 
Winter Care and Feeding. 43

their eyes are affected, a white film covers them,
and they become blind. It is often from two to
three weeks before their eyes get well, and many
flockowners have been quite alarmed at this trou-
ble. Sheep that are affected in this way should
be isolated from the flock and kept in the barn,
not in a draught, until their eyes get well. A few
drops of raw linseed oil put on the sore eyes once
a day will help them heal.

GESTATION PERIOD OF EWES.

Records have been kept at this Station which
show that the length of time that ewes carry their
lambs varies considerably. These records have
been kept for all the breeding ewes in the Station
flock, including many different breeds. The date
of service of each ewe, as well as the date of lamb-
ing, has been recorded. These records, which ex-
tend over a pericd of about twenty-four years, show
that the fine wool breeds seem to require a longer
gestation period than other breeds. Next to the
fine wools may be placed the Cheviots. The aver-
age gestation period of about 1500 ewes on record
was from 146 to 147 days. The largest per cent
of ewes have lambed at 146 days. In many in-
stances Merinos have required a period of from
150 to 154 days, and Cheviots in many cases a
period of from 146 to 151 days. Whenever a ewe
44. Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

carried her lamb or lambs from five to seven days
overtime the result was usually weak or dead
lambs. After careful study and observation the
writer has been led to believe that outdoor life
and giving ewes all the exercise possible hastens
the date of lambing.

The winter of 1910-11 was an unusually mild
one in Wisconsin, especially in the southern part
of the state. Because of this fine weather the Sta-
tion flock of breeding ewes could be turned out
into a field about a quarter of a mile away from
the barn. Here the hay was spread so they had
to pick it up. From the time that the ewes
were bred until all had lambed they were turned
out in this field daily on all but eleven days, when
they were kept in on account of snowy or rainy
weather. Our records for that year show that out
of 60 ewes which lambed only ten carried their
lambs from one to three days overtime. Four out
of the 60 dropped their lambs on the proper day
as given for them in Breeders’ Memorandums, or
so-called Breeders’ Calendars, 147 days, while the
remainder, 46 ewes, dropped their lambs at from
one to five days ahead of 147 days. All lambs,
whether dropped on or before time, were unusu-
ally strong and healthy. The record for that year
is quite different from that of former years, when

on account of more snow and bad weather the
Winter Care and Feeding. 45

Station flock could not get as much exercise and
enjoy as much outdoor life, showing that the dif-
ference in the vitality of the lambs and the shorter
time they were carried must have been due to the
abundance of outdoor life and exercise the ewes
had.

LAMBING TIME, THE SHEPHERD'S HARVEST.

Lambing is perhaps the most critical time of the
year for the shepherd. At this season he is ex-
pected not only to be on strict duty during the day
time, but must also sacrifice a good share of his
night’s sleep. The experienced shepherd knows
that his success and the percentage of lambs raised
depend in a great measure upon how closely he
watches with his flock at lambing time. In Eng-
land, for the sake of encouraging the shepherds to
take the best care of their flocks and new born
lambs, the owners pay an extra percentage for all
lambs raised, in addition to the regular month’s
wages.

EWES WITH TWINS AND TRIPLETS.

As a result of proper mating and the thrifty con-
dition of both ram and ewe at the time of breed-
ing in the fall, a great many twins and even trip-
lets may be expected. When the lambs begin to
come, with their arrival all sorts of troubles pre-
sent themselves, not nearly so many, however, with
“oly “eNyUR I
Uu0g YP Joo] SopeyT) Aq UAOYS ‘QTE] ‘BUCH eUIdUT 9] TB SUMOPYINOS JO Yoor aZuid Jsayy “Sp ALVTd

 

 

 

 

 
Winter Care and Feeding. 47

the man who understands his business as with the
man who is a beginner in the work. It is not wise
to let ewes with twins or triplets remain with the
whole flock. In fact, it is much better not to let any
ewes remain after lambing with those that have
not yet lambed, as the ones which have lambed
need more feed. Ewes with twins or triplets, when
left with other sheep, often disown one of their
lambs. In the majority of instances the stronger
lamb comes first, and soon after birth it looks for
its first meal. Its mother, however, is in pains to
deliver another lamb, and therefore she will not
move away from the nest which she has selected
for lambing, which is generally in one corner of
the barn. Thus the mother does not follow her
new-born lamb, but the other inquisitive sheep
flock around to see the newcomer and often lead
it away. The new-born lamb thus loses track of
its mother, and the mother likewise loses the smell
of her lamb and refuses to own it when she meets
it again, since ewes recognize their lambs only by
their smell and voice. Such ewes should, there-
fore, be put away separately either in the lambing
pens or in a special place temporarily prepared
for them by means of hurdles placed in corners in
the barn. Here they can be kept for a couple of
days until mother and lambs are thoroughly fa-

miliar with each other.
48 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

EWES WITH SINGLE LAMBS.

Ewes with single lambs often disown them on ac-
count of the lack of milk to support them, caused
by the fact that they have not been properly fed
before lambing. Young ewes that have their first
lambs belong to this class in particular. Each ewe
should be put by herself with her lamb and be
fed grain and milk-producing succulent feeds to
start the milk flow. The lamb which does not get
enough milk from its dam should in the meantime
be helped along by means of cow’s milk until its
mother is in shape to care for it.

LAMBS BORN WEAK.

Once in a while a lamb is born in a weak condi-
tion. The careful shepherd is on hand to assist it
by lifting it up to its mother’s udder, putting the
teat into its mouth, and drawing some milk into
the mouth with his fingers. This should be re-
peated until the lamb, after it has once had the
taste of milk and has gained strength, is able to
stand and drink by itself.

Some lambs, although they may be born strong,
are unable to find the mother’s teat. Ewes some-
times have their udders wrapped up in dense or
long wool, which makes it difficult for the lamb to
find the teat. This is especially the case with
Shropshires and long wool breeds. In such in-
Winter Care and Feeding. 49

stances the surplus wool should be removed at
once with the sheep shears, and the lamb be as-
sisted at its first meal. In rare cases it also be-
comes necessary to open up the teat by squeezing
out the little wax in the end of it.

REVIVING THE ALMOST LIFELESS LAMB.

Often a lamb has a hard struggle at birth and
arrives in this new world almost exhausted, lying
without any signs of lung action. The shepherd
has assisted the ewe in bringing the lamb forward,
but it seems to be almost, yet not quite, dead. All
that shows the lamb to be alive may be a single
quiver. Now is the time when he must act quickly
to revive the lamb. The first thing is to clean all
phlegm out of its mouth, then he must hold the
mouth open with his two hands and blow gently
three to four times into it to start up lung action.
Now he must lay it on its belly and beat it slightly
with his two hands, one on each side on its heart
girth right back of the shoulder, and if it does not
commence to breathe, he should blow into its
mouth again. If there is the slightest bit of life
left in the lamb, he will revive the lamb by this
method. Many such lambs that at first sight ap-
peared to be dead, have been revived by the writer

in this manner.
4
50 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

THE CHILLED LAMB.

It is a matter of fact that lambs have been born
out of doors at a temperature down to zero and
sometimes even below zero, and yet have come out
all right. However, even the strongest lamb is
liable to become chilled if it has to remain for a
while in extreme cold. The best way to revive a
chilled lamb is to give it a hot bath in a pail or
tub of water as warm as the hand can well bear.
After this bath take a piece of woolen cloth and
wipe the lamb dry, which will tend to start up the
circulation of its blood. Wrap the little one in a
warm, dry piece of cloth and place it for a while
near a warm stove. When it has come to, a little
warm milk taken from its mother should be given
it to encourage strength. A few drops of whiskey
in a little warm water would be beneficial to the
youngster. After it has gained sufficient strength
it should be returned to its mother.

The lamb, however, needs to be watched for a
few days as it becomes constipated from the ef-
fects of its chilled condition. If such be the case,
from one-half to one teaspoonful of castor oil may
be given the lamb, depending on its size. If one
dose does not have the desired effect, one or two
more should be given until the bowels move

properly.
Winter Care and Feeding. ol

ADOPTED LAMBS.

If a ewe loses her lamb she may become a step-
mother. A lamb may then be taken away from
another ewe that has more than one lamb, and
given to the ewe which has lost her lamb. This
can easily be done by skinning the dead lamb and
putting the skin on the lamb that is to be adopted.
The odor of the skin of the dead lamb will make
the ewe believe that it is her own. This skin must
be removed in from 48 to 54 hours, or it may cause
the lamb’s own skin to decay.

Another way is to hold a ewe about every two to
three hours and let the lamb suck, and she will own
it in five or six days. The ewe that is to adopt the
lamb should be put into a small enclosure or tied
with a halter so that she cannot bunt the lamb,
as otherwise she may kill it. The writer has often
taken lambs that did not get any too much milk
from their own mothers and has let them drink
the surplus milk of ewes with an overflow.

NEWLY LAMBED EWES.

All newly lambed ewes should be examined for
a few days, both in the morning and the evening,
to see whether the lamb or lambs are taking all
the milk out of the udder. It is peculiar that
some lambs will only suck on one side of the udder,
and the milk which is left on the other side will
52 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

cake and spoil the udder. Often it takes a num-
ber of days for the lamb or even for two lambs to
use up all the milk. All this surplus milk should
either be taken by another lamb or should be
milked out as long as necessary in order to keep
the udder from caking.

ASSISTING THE EWE IN LAMBING.

In spite of the fact that the shepherd has given
his flock the proper feed and an abundance of ex-
ercise, it sometimes happens that a ewe is abso-
lutely unable to deliver her lamb or lambs. ‘The
ewe may have difficulty in delivering a lamb either
because the lamb is unusually large, or because
her passage way is too narrow, or because the
lamb les in the wrong position. Young ewes,
lambing for the first time, have the most trouble
in this respect.

When a lamb has come forward far enough so
that its nose and front feet are at hand, but its
head is unable to pass through, the ewe must be
assisted. Sometimes the lamb can be brought for-
ward by pulling on its front feet, but this alone
will not in all cases be sufficient. It often becomes
necessary for the shepherd to place one of his
hands on the outside of the vagina right back of
the lamb’s head and press and squeeze the lamb’s
head through. Another good way recently discov-
Winter Care and Feeding. 53

ered by the writer is to smear with the hand a lot
of linseed oil on the inside of the vagina, espe-
cially where the lamb’s forehead sticks. This will
soften up the vagina and allow it to stretch, and
will also make the passage way more slippery.
The writer has had cases where he feared that
the lamb could never be delivered without cutting
the ewe open, but after using linseed oil in the
manner described the lamb came forward at once
with no further trouble.

If a ewe has passed the water bag and in about
two to three hours does not show evidence of
lambing, it becomes necessary to investigate the
matter, as the lamb must be lying wrong, or be
dead. Before investigating have your hands
washed clean, and remove all long, sharp finger
nails. Put a little carbolic acid or perhaps a little
disinfectant, such as Zenoleum or Creso sheep
dip, into some warm water, and scrub your hand
and arm with it, so that they are thoroughly dis-
infected and clean before beginning the work.

Several different positions of the lamb may be
the cause of non-parturition. The lamb may lie
straight across the passage way, or with its front
feet in the proper direction but its head turned
back, or the hind end may come first and the hind
legs under it; or perhaps one hind leg is forward
and the other is backward. In the case of twins
 

 

 

 

 

PLaTel9. Tlow the ewe is held when a lamb is taken from her, when
parturition is possible in no other way.
Winter Care and Feeding. 55

or triplets, the writer has seen cases where the legs
and tails of the two or three lambs were entan-
gled, forming a round ball, so to speak. In any
of these cases the lambs will have to be taken from
the ewe. A person with a small hand can do this
work most successfully. After the operator has
disinfected his hand thoroughly in order to pre-
tect himself and the ewe against blood poisoning,
and has softened his hand with sweet oil or lard,
he will turn the lamb to its proper position, which
should be head and front feet first in the passage
way. He must exercise great care not to injure the
ewe after he has inserted his hand in the womb,
or inflammation will set in.

In some cases, the ewe with her natural pres-
sure makes it impossible for the operator to insert
his hand, and he may almost give up hope of sav-
ing the ewe and lambs. Yet at this critical moment
the operator must not lose his head. Two men
should be called in to assist him. Place the ewe
with her head in a corner so that she cannot go
forward. The two men will each now take hold
of a hind leg around the thigh and elevate the rear
of the ewe, as is shown in the illustration. The
pressure by the ewe will then cease and the lamb
or lambs that have been pressed forward up to the
narrow passage will naturally, on account of the
elevation of the rear end of the ewe, drop back
 

tells

Z a

 

 

 

 

 

Puate 20. Flushing out the ewe after it has been necessary to take
a lamb away from her.
Winter Care and Feeding. 97

into the natural lamb bed. The elevation of the
ewe prevents her natural pressure to a great ex-
tent, thus giving the operator a chance to untangle
the lambs and turn them in the right direction and
successfully bring them to daylight. After the
lambs have been taken from the ewe the operator
can take a lump of pure hog lard, the size of a
hen’s egg, and insert it in the womb of the ewe,
where it will be very soothing and healing. The
ewe may be given a tablespoonful of whiskey with
perhaps a little gin to strengthen her. It may also
be necessary to flush the ewe for two or three
days once or twice daily by means of a rubber
tube attached to a funnel, as shown in the accom-
panying illustration. For one application one-half
teaspoonful of permanganate of potash should be
dissolved in a quart of warm water. The above
method of elevating the ewe should never be fol-
lowed unless one is absolutely certain that par-
turition is possible in no other way.

FEEDING THE EWE AFTER LAMBING.

Some individual ewes in the flock are naturally
heavier milkers than others, and this class is the
most profitable to the owner. Where ewes have
large udders the udders are very apt to become
inflamed, and as a result the ewes will have milk
fever if precautions are not taken with regard to
58 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

their feeding. Draughts and lying on wet floors
in barns are also responsible for this trouble in
many cases. To avoid milk fever feed the ewe
but little grain for three days after lambing. The
danger of milk fever is over after this time, and
the ewe may gradually receive her full allowance
of grain again. Roughage and succulent feeds do
not cause milk fever and may safely be fed both
before and after lambing.

CAKED UDDERS.

A bad chill or cold, or a wet floor, as well as im-
proper feeding, is enough to cause inflammation
in the ewe’s udder. The best remedy for caked
udders is as follows: Upset the ewe and bathe
the udder with warm water for about five min-
utes by means of a woolen cloth. When thor-
oughly bathed, gently rub it dry with a dry cloth,
and rub in some melted pure hog lard, using it
as warm as the ewe can stand. This should be
done at least three times a day. Mercurial oint-
ment, or so-called “blue ointment,” can also be
highly recommended. A hot woolen cloth held on
the ewe’s udder three times a day has also given
good results. The milk that has caked in the
udder must be milked out as thoroughly as pos-
sible each time the application of water and lard
Winter Care and Feeding. 59

is made. Make sure that the ewe has nice dry bed-
ding.
EWES WITH SORE TEATS.

Sore teats on ewes are generally brought about
by the-lambs. These youngsters often have very
sharp teeth and in sucking not only bite the teat
and make it sore, but also injure part of the udder.
Ewes with udders in this condition refuse to let
the lambs suck. When this state of things is first
noticed milk out the milk from the udder at once
in order to prevent clogging up and caking. Some
vaseline should then be smeared on the sore spots
at least three times a day until cured. Take a small
file and file the front teeth of the lamb or lambs
belonging to the ewe. File them down smoothly
and make them somewhat flat on top, so that they
cannot bite into the flesh and teats of their moth-
er’s udder.

TAGGING THE EWES AT LAMBING TIME.

All loose and filthy wool at the rear of the ewe
should be clipped off, to prevent the lambs from
biting it off and swallowing it. If ewes are not
tagged and the lambs eat this filthy loose wool
hanging about the dams it forms a sort of ball in
the lamb’s stomach, which stops the passage of the
bowels and brings on death.
60 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

THE SHEPHERD'S ROOM.

On account of the dangers of lambing time it is
most essential that the shepherd be near the flock
at all times during this period. As a good shep-
herd must give up many hours of sleep in order to
raise as large a percentage of lambs as possible, a
small room should be provided for him in the
sheep barn close to the lambing pens so that he may
be comfortable during his weary watch. In this
room should be a cot or bed upon which he can lie
down when his duty does not require him to be
with his flock. A stove should also be furnished so
that the shepherd may keep warm in cold weather.
By keeping a teakettle of water on the stove he
will always have warm water on hand, which is
often needed. Otherwise, if he should find a
chilled lamb which needs a warm bath at once to
revive it, he will be compelled to run to the house,
build a fire, and warm water, causing serious
delay.

Wealthy flockowners have even more furniture
in the shepherd’s room than is here mentioned.
Good shepherds are always scarce, and if the
flockowner is fortunate enough to have such a one
he should make it as convenient and comfortable
for him as possible during lambing time, his sea-
son of hardest work.
CHAPTER IV.
REARING THE LAMBS.

Young lambs usually begin to nibble and eat
grain, or hay and other roughage with their moth-
ers at the age of two weeks. At this time the lamb
can be assisted by giving it some extra feed, in
addition to its mother’s milk and the little other
feed it may get in the regular feeding trough with
the older sheep. It is remarkable how these little
fellows will grow if some extra grain and some
nice clover or alfalfa hay is given them. A few
roots saved up for the little lambs are beyond
valuation for their growth and development.

The outcome and development of the flock de-
pend largely upon the care the lambs get the first
year. If the lambs are stunted then, they will al-
ways be stunted and will never make their proper
growth. If once stunted as lambs, no matter how
much or what kind of feed they may receive
afterwards, their further development can not be
greatly changed.

Another important factor which promotes the
growth of lambs is to keep them in small groups
in the barn with their mothers after they have been
removed from the lambing pens. The writer has

(61)
62 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

observed that these little fellows do much better
when so treated than when a larger number is
turned together when the lambs are still real
young.

There is no other time in a sheep’s life when it
makes such rapid and economical gains as in its

 

 

 

 

Piare 21. Twin pure-bred Shropshire lambs at the University of
Wisconsin. When three months old the ram on the left weighed 83
pounds, and the wether on the right 67 pounds.

first year, and especially so in the first six months
after birth. At the Wisconsin Experiment Station
the writer has raised many lambs that made an
average gain of five pounds per head each week
up to the age of three months. It is not at all un-
common for lambs to weigh fifty to sixty pounds
when sixty days old. The accompanying illustra-
tion shows a pair of pure-bred Shropshire lambs,
Rearing the Lamb. 63

one a ram and the other a wether, raised at the
Wisconsin Station. When three months old the
ram lamb weighed 83 pounds and the wether 67.

The little extra grain, hay, and other feed con-
sumed by young lambs is well repaid, and feed-
ing young lambs grain has many advantages.
Lambs born in March may be pushed ahead so that
they can be sold in May or early June, when
they will bring as much, or more, than they would
bring in the fall. There is then a scarcity of nice,
fat, plump spring lambs on the market, and they
sell all the way from nine to fourteen cents per
pound live weight.

On April 29 in the spring of 1910 at the Wiscon-
sin Station we sold a grade Dorset lamb to a local
butcher for fourteen cents per pound live weight.
The lamb was forty-five days old and weighed
forty-five pounds, bringing the sum of $6.30. A
Hampshire was sold May 6, weighing forty pounds
at forty-one days old, and bringing $5.60. Still
another Hampshire was sold May 11, weighing
fifty pounds at fifty-one days old, and brought
$6.50 at thirteen censs per pound. If these same
lambs had been sold at Chicago or New York a
much higher price would have been received for
them.

When lambs are fed extra grain and hay they
do not suck their mothers down so in condition,
64 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

as there is some substantial food in their stom-
achs and they do not have to depend entirely upon
their mother’s milk. Itis a great pleasure to watch
the little fellows eat and see them grow. The
writer, engaged for many years entirely in sheep
husbandry, has spent many five and ten minutes
extra time outside of regular working hours,
watching the little fellows assembled at the feed
trough in the lamb creep enjoying their grain and
nibbling some nice, bright hay and a few roots.
If they should want more feed it is given them. It
is just as much fun for the good shepherd to watch
these lusty, growing, playful youngsters eat and
play, as it is to watch a ball game.

For the person who is interested in sheep this
is a very opportune time to learn sheep judging.
The lambs are lined up close together, both large
and small ones, and their build and general make-
up can easily be studied at this time. There is
one perhaps that is very wide at its hind quarters,
but becomes narrower towards its shoulders, while
right next to it there may be another one which
illustrates exactly the reverse shape, being broad
in front and narrow behind. One has a long neck,
the other a short one; another perhaps has a hump
back or looks as if its legs were crooked and too
long, or has a little too much black wool on its
head. Now let us look and see if we cannot find
Rearing the Lamb. 65

a few good ones among them, some that are about
perfect. Perhaps at the middle of the trough we
can see two or three, or maybe more, that look
somewhat different from the rest. They are short-
legged, blocky fellows, straight as a string on top,
with sides from one end to the other just as
straight and square as a timber coming out of a
saw mill. They have short, thick necks, and carry
nice, short, broad heads. The pleased shepherd
realizes that they are unusually well-built lambs
and will add some good material to his breeding
flock and raise it to a higher standard. If perhaps
he happens to be an exhibitor of sheep bright
prospects loom up before him. He now feels as-
sured that he has a good chance of winning some
prizes with them at the county or state fairs, or
perhaps even at the great International at Chicago.
Remember, fellow sheepmen, that prize winners
have to be built right, or rather, born right. Feed
alone cannot and will not make them right.

THE LAMB CREEP.

The feeding of the lambs should be commenced
just as soon as they will eat. This can best be done
by means of a lamb creep, which can be set up at
one side, corner, or end of the barn. The creep is
very simple in construction and almost anyone can
erect one. The material needed consists of two

5
66 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

boards as long as desired and one inch thick and
six inches wide, and also strips or slats, three feet
long and one inch thick by four inches wide.

 

 

Pirate 22. Lamb creep and feed troughs in the sheep barn at the
University of Wisconsin.

These strips are nailed on the two six-inch boards,
thus forming a rack about three feet high. The
slats should be put just far enough apart so as to
let the lambs slip through and keep the old sheep
out, as is shown in the accompanying illustration,
Rearing the Lamb. 67

which shows a lamb creep in the interior of the
sheep barn at the University of Wisconsin. Within
the space, thus set off specially for the lambs, is
placed a feed trough, having a flat bottom. This

7:0"

 

Puate 23. Trough in which grain is fed to the young lambs.

trough is constructed in the manner shown in the
cut. The trough is about four inches deep and
nine inches wide and rests on legs nailed to each
end. At each end of the trough a piece of six-inch
board is nailed on, to stand up over the feed trough
eight inches. On top of these two upright boards
another six-inch board is nailed across the entire
length of the trough to prevent the lambs from

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pirate 24. Feed trough used at the University of Wisconsin, in
which hay is fed to young lambs, and both hay and grain to older sheep.

 

7-0"

 
68 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

stepping into it with their front feet. In this trough
is put grain for the lambs. A simple and cheap
hay rack, such as is shown in the cut, is used to
feed the hay in. Young lambs are quite inquisi-
tive, and when some grain and hay are placed in
the creep, they will soon find the loop holes and
begin eating.

GRAIN RATION FOR YOUNG LAMBS.

It has been found at this Station that a grain
mixture consisting of two pounds of wheat bran,
one pound of oats (whole oats will do, but crushed
are better), one pound of finely ground cornmeal,
and one-half pound of oilmeal has proved an ex-
cellent grain ration for young lambs. Later in
spring when the weather gets warmer the amount
of cornmeal may be reduced and the amount of
oats increased. Fine second crop clover or alfalfa
hay will furnish the best roughage for young
lambs. If some roots, such as turnips or rutabagas,
are available, the youngsters will soon relish them.

When the sheep and lambs go out to pasture
the lamb creep can be moved out with them and
set up in a corner where the lambs will soon de-
tect it again. Some sheep breeders may say that
lambs do not need any extra grain when they are
out on good pasture and are suckling their moth-
ers. Experiments conducted along this line at
Rearing the Lamb. 69

this Station have shown, however, that it pays
well to feed a little grain to lambs all summer
long. Even if such lambs are held over for fat-
tening in the winter it has been learned that the
lambs fed grain during the summer make more
and cheaper gains than lambs of the same breed-
ing and kind that do not receive any grain while
on pasture. If the lambs are fed well during their
first year one can figure on a well-developed flock.
There is no danger of getting them too fat, either
for breeding purposes or for the butcher, if an ex-
cessive use of fattening grains is avoided. When
well fed they grow so much that they do not lay
on any surplus fat.

THE USE OF COW’S MILK FOR LAMBS.

Many people have made a failure of trying to
raise lambs on cow’s milk. Lambs may be suc-
cessfully reared on such milk, however, if the
proper precautions are taken in feeding. Young
lambs are easily taught to drink cow’s milk from
a bottle with a rubber nipple attached to it, and
after they have once tasted the milk they will
quickly and freely run to the person carrying the
bottle. Plate 25 shows how easily lambs may
be taught to drink from the bottle. They may
also be taught to drink out of a dipper. The reason
why so many people have been unsuccessful in
70 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

raising lambs by hand is in most cases that they
did not understand the difference between cow’s
milk and sheep’s milk as regards richness and fat
percentage. People have a general idea that pure
cow’s milk is too rich for lambs, but the writer is
of a contrary opinion. He knows from analyses

 

 

 

 

Puatr 25. One lamb is happy, the other wishes his turn would
come. Pure-bred Southdown lambs raised on the bottle at the Uni-
versity of Wisconsin.

of sheep’s milk that cow’s milk is much lower in
fat percentage than sheep’s milk. Some years ago
at this Station a grade Dorset ewe showed in a
week’s test 14.4 per cent of fat. Of course, her
milk was richer than the average. It is astonish-
ing to hear fairly well educated men say that one
Rearing the Lamb. 71

cannot feed cow’s whole milk to lambs because it
is too rich and will kill them. Such expressions
of opinion seem laughable to the writer.

RAISING LAMBS BY HAND.

Raising lambs by hand is not generally a very
profitable undertaking. Unless the lamb to be so
raised is an exceptionally good one or a pure-bred,
it hardly pays to spend the time required, espe-
cially considering the present high price of milk.
The writer has, however, raised quite a number
of lambs by hand, some of which made good and
were prize winners at the International Show at
Chicago. The lamb raised by hand has one ad-
vantage over its cousin suckling its dam. When
the milk flow of the mother begins to cease the
hand-reared lamb may still get a full measure of
milk, and the amount fed can be increased as the
lamb grows in size, providing plenty of milk is
available.

There is more than one reason why some peo-
ple have been unable to raise lambs by hand. One
important reason is that they have not studied the
‘instincts of the lamb and its mother. When the
lamb suckles its mother it takes a little milk every
little while, and this milk is warm and comes from
a clean udder. When beginning to feed the young
lamb on cow’s milk the following points should be
72 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

observed: First, the milk should be taken from a
cow whose milk tests high in fat. Second, for the
first three or four weeks the milk from this one
selected cow only should be fed to the lamb.
Third, for the first few days and nights the lamb
should be fed every two to three hours, and a
small amount (say two or three tablespoonfuls,
with a gradual increase) given it each time, so as
not to overload its stomach. Fourth, the milk
should be warmed up to 92 degrees Fahrenheit,
which is about the warmth of sheep’s milk. Care
must be taken not to let the milk boil as this
causes constipation. Fifth, the bottle and nipple
should be thoroughly washed each time after use
so as to prevent the collection of sour matter in
them, which in time may poison the lamb. When
the lamb is first born it is delicate and has a rather
weak stomach, and therefore great care must be
exercised in rearing it by hand. Later on when it
has become a month or so old the task is not such
a difficult one.

MARKING THE LAMBS.

In all pure-bred flocks at least, all lambs should
be marked, in order to keep the breeding records
straight and to avoid mistakes when the time
comes to have the lambs registered. It is a com-
mon statement among some sheep breeders that
Rearing the Lamb. 73

lambs should not be marked when very young, be-
cause the ear label, they believe, will make the
lamb’s ear hang downward instead of remaining
erect. This idea is false. At this Station all lambs
are marked either the first or second day after
birth, and they surely carry their ears just as high
and erect as if they had no label in them. Where

 

 

 

 

Piate 26. Marking the lamb with the Dana ear label.

marking is done when the lambs are very young
it saves the owner much time and prevents mis-
takes. It means a great deal of work later on to
find the ewes and lambs that belong together if
marking the lambs is postponed, and moreover
mistakes may have already been made in regis-
tering such lambs. It is much better to mark them

 
74 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

when young because of the time saved in doing
so, and above all because of the assurance of keep-
ing the record of breeding straight.

When inserting the label into the lamb’s ear be
careful to cut the hole between the veins so as to
prevent bleeding. The Dana Ear Label has given
very good satisfaction for marking lambs at this
Station. The preceding illustration shows the
manner in which the lamb is held when the mark-
ing is done. Another way to mark lambs is to
tatoo their ears, but the writer does not consider
this method nearly as good as using the ear label.

CASTRATING LAMBS.

No intelligent sheep breeder will allow his buck
lambs to run without having them castrated. Only
pure-bred buck lambs intended for breeding pur-
poses are exempt from castration. The writer
wishes he could use words strong enough to make
those who have not operated on their lambs in
the past appreciate the good results obtained from
castrating them, and the evil results sure to fol-
low when this is neglected. As a rule, at about
the age of three to four months buck lambs begin
to know that they are males, get restless, lose flesh,
and as fall approaches become worse, jumping and
riding each other, and hence getting in a thin con-
dition, while castrated lambs get fat. When these
Rearing the Lamb. 75

buck lambs come to market in thin condition and
with their testicles in them, which gives a strong
taste to their meat, they will sell for $1.50 to
$2.00 less per hundred pounds than lambs of the
same age which have been castrated. Now flock-
masters, is this difference in price not sufficient
to set you to thinking and to make you decide to
use the knife on your buck lambs in the future?
At least the writer hopes that such will be the case.

METHOD OF CASTRATION.

Castration is not dangerous, if a little care is
taken. Lambs can be castrated most easily and
without much pain if the operation is performed
when they are from one to two weeks old. Choose
a nice, bright day, not a rainy, cold, or damp day.
Select all lambs from the flock that are to be cas-
trated, and fence them off in one end of the barn,
providing it is done before going out to pasture.
See that the barn is nicely bedded with clean
straw. Mix a little disinfectant, such as carbolic
acid or Zenoleum, in some clean, warm water, and
disinfect your hands and knife in it. Then begin
the work. First feel and make sure that both tes-
ticles have come down. Any lamb whose testicles
have not both come down should be left alone
until they have both come down. Cut off one-
third of the lower end of the bag, as is shown in
 

 

 

 

Method of castrating the lamb.

PLATE 27.
Rearing the Lamb. 77

the illustration, which will leave the testicles partly
exposed. Draw them out either with your fingers
or a pair of pinchers. All fat and loose skin should
be left in and worked back with one hand. The
entire cord should be pulled out, not cut off. Pour
a little disinfectant in the two holes from which
the testicles have been removed, and then lift the
lamb over the partition to its mother. The reason
for fencing off the lambs is this: When lambs
have been castrated they are unable to run, and
generally lie down. If mothers and lambs are left
together the lambs may get hurt by having their
mothers run over them when the shepherd is
catching other lambs. The operator can perform
the neatest and cleanest job, if accustomed to do
it, by pulling the testicles by means of his teeth.
In nearly all foreign countries no lambs are cas-
trated in any other way. If a lamb has grown
quite old and the cord is too strong to be pulled
it may be scraped off back of the testicle; this will
prevent bleeding. Whenever possible, castrating
the lambs should be done in the morning, and
every disturbance of the flock should be avoided
during that day.
DOCKING LAMBS.

All lambs should be docked, ewe lambs when
they are from eight to fourteen days old, and ram
lambs from five to seven days after castration.
 

 

How a lamb is docked with the hot pinchers.

PLATE 28.
Rearing the Lamb. 79

When this is neglected flockmasters will suffer the
loss of from twenty-five to fifty cents per hundred
pounds on lambs when sold on the market, in
proportion to the amount of dirt collected on the
tails. We will not speak at all about the attract-
iveness of a bunch of lambs that are uniformly
docked. Docking sheep prevents the accumula-
tion of a great deal of filth at their rears, and con-
sequently to a great extent keeps them from be-
coming infested with maggots, especially the fe-
males. The fact that many ewes do not get with
lamb at all is due to their not being docked. Many
flockowners are afraid to dock their lambs because
they believe they will bleed to death. No danger
need be feared, however, if the operator is at all
careful.

There is more than one way to dock lambs.
Their tails may be cut off with a sharp jack-knife.
It used to be the custom to chop them off on a
block by means of a chisel and mallet. When
either of these methods is used the lambs lose
blood, especially the fleshier ones, and in very
many instances die from excessive bleeding.

If the lamhb’s tail is to be cut off the preferable
way is to use a sharp knife rather than the chisel
and mallet. One man must hold the lamb. The
operator by feeling on the side of the tail can de-
tect where the joints are. He should push the skin
80 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

on the tail back toward the body of the lamb, so
as to leave some surplus skin to grow over the
stub, and then cut the tail at a joint about one
and one-half inches from the body. This cut
should be made so quickly with the sharp knife
that the lamb scarcely knows that its tail is off.
If any particular lamb should bleed too much a
piece of cord or binding twine may be tied very
tightly on its tail close to the body. This will put
an end to the flow of blood, and the cord may be
removed from the lamb in about eight to ten hours.
Docking with the knife should be done in the
morning, so that the lambs can be watched to see
how they are getting along. The writer knows of
some men who performed this work in the even-
ing and the next morning found several of their
lambs dead, due to great loss of blood. In cool
weather nothing need be put on the wound, but
in warm weather and in fly time some pine tar
should be applied in order to keep the flies and
maggots off.

Docking with pinchers is highly recommended.
The plate on page 78 shows the method of dock-
ing a lamb with pinchers, and plate 29 shows a
lamb which has just been docked. Ever since
Joseph E. Wing invented these pinchers the writer
has altogether abandoned the use of the knife for
this purpose. By using the hot pinchers no danger
Rearing the Lamb. 81

need be feared from loss of blood. Older sheep
than lambs can be very successfully docked with
pinchers. While it is perhaps a little painful for
the lamb at the time, if done rightly not a drop of
blood is lost, and after a few hours the lamb jumps
and runs about as if nothing had happened to it.

ORR AMER EDIRILTILITILE

gig Comrrrerannarmcrr

 

 

Piate 29. The proper way to hold a lamb while it is being docked
or castrated.

The pinchers can be heated nearly red hot in a
common stove or in a blast torch, such as the tin-
smith uses. Nine to ten lambs can be docked be-
fore heating the pinchers a second time. This
method of docking is a great relief to the shep-
herd, since he does not need to worry for fear any
of his lambs will lose too much blood and die. It
also does away with all the squirting of blood over
6
82 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

the barn and over the ewe’s face and wool. There
will also be no lost blood to be restored by feed,
since it requires just so much blood to maintain
a lamb. While the healing process of the tail is
somewhat slower than if cut with a knife, never-
theless, taking all into consideration, this method
proves more satisfactory in the end. In warm
weather, just as in the case of cutting with the
knife, put pine tar on the wound, in order to avoid
maggots.

On the western ranges where large numbers of
lambs are raised annually a general so-called
“round-up” is made, at which castrating and dock-
ing is done at the same time. The ranchman saves
time and labor in doing this work all at once, but
this is no reason why the smaller flockowner
should follow his example. When both opera-
tions are performed at once, it naturally gives the
lamb a great shock and setback. The large flock-
owner of the West may perhaps save enough time
by performing both operations at once to pay for
the loss of lambs, especially since range lambs are
not worth so much per head as the better grade of
lambs owned on the smaller farms. The smaller
flockowner, however, cannot afford to follow his
example.
Rearing the Lamb. 83

WEANING THE LAMBS.

The idea prevalent among flockmasters that
lambs should wean themselves is in many ways
not a good one. When a lamb has had its moth-
er’s milk from four and one-half to five months
it is best-to wean it. The breeding ewe is continu-
ously laboring for her young from the time of con-
ception, and if the lamb is not weaned from her
before breeding time comes again she does not
have a chance to rest at all. This rest, however,
is very necessary for preserving her vitality and
health. It has also been found that it is much bet-
ter for the lamb to be weaned at the age of about
five months. The lambs can then be turned on a
fresh pasture by themselves where they do not
draw any more parasites from the excrements of
their dams.

The best way to proceed is to take the lambs
away from the ewes, turn them on some fresh
pasture, and not allow them to get back to their
mothers again. Some flockmen allow the lambs
to go back to their mothers after two or three days
in order to remove the milk that has accumulated
in the udder during the lamb’s absence from its
mother. This practice, however, is a poor one.
Milk collected in the udder by a worrying ewe
after her lamb has been taken from her is abnor-
mal and has often done damage to the lamb.
84 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

Ewes and lambs find their first parting very
bitter and they bleat for two days and nights until
they finally forget each other. When the lambs
are turned back again to milk out the ewes the old
relationship is renewed, and it becomes hard for
them to part a second time, to say nothing of the
work of separating them.

CARE OF THE LAMBS AFTER WEANING.

When the lambs have been weaned they should
have the run of some good, fresh pasture. The
lambs will greatly enjoy grazing on land where
one crop of hay has been cut and the new grass
is coming up again, or on a piece of rape that. has
been sown in early spring. By turning them on
new pasture the danger of stomach worms and
other parasites is avoided to a large measure.
Good, clean pasture is also necessary for them in
order to avoid a check in their growth, as a result
of the loss of their mother’s milk.

CARE OF THE EWE AFTER WEANING.

After the lambs have been taken from the ewe
great care must be taken to prevent the udder of
the ewe from caking. Many mistakes are made in
this regard. The best producing ewes in the flock
are the ones that generally have their udders
caked, for the reason that they continue to give
 

 

 

 

 

 

Piate 30. Milking a ewe with two hands to hasten the work.
86 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

milk and this milk is not removed. While some
ewes, as elsewhere stated, do not furnish their
lambs very much milk at weaning time, others
still have an abundance. Some ewes may be dried
up in a few days, while others require a couple of
weeks time to dry them up. In either case they
should be given just as much attention as is given
to cows when they are being dried off. The re-
duction in milk may be hastened along by putting
the ewes on scant pasture for a few days.

The method of drying up ewes practiced by the
writer is as follows: On a nice, cool morning
when there is a prospect of having cool weather
for a few days the lambs are all separated from
the ewes. The ewes are then put on scanty pas-
ture. The next day all the ewes are collected to-
gether in a fence corner in the field. One is caught
and milked out, two hands being used to hasten
the work, as is shown in the preceding illustra-
tion. Milking the ewe with two hands is ac-
complished by bringing her rear up against a
fence, so she cannot go backward, and placing the
two knees against her shoulders to prevent her
from going forward. When partly milked out,
just enough to keep the udder soft, she is turned
loose and the next one is treated in the same way,
and so on until all have been gone over. After
two days’ time they are again milked out in the
Rearing the Lamb. 87

same manner. Some ewes do not need any more
attention after the second milking. Such ewes are
marked on their backs with blue chalk to indicate
that they are dry. Three more days should elapse
before the next milking is done, and all those dry
are check-marked. Another five days pass by and
still a few more ewes have to be milked out. This
is generally the last time they are milked out,
with the exception perhaps of one or two who are
extremely heavy milkers. In this way not a single
udder will be spoiled.

GOITRE ON LAMBS.

This trouble which has resulted in the death of
many lambs may be attributed to several causes.
Perhaps, the pregnant ewe was fed too heavily on
concentrated feeds, such as corn, cottonseed meal,
barley, rye or even oilmeal. Succulent feeds, like
silage, roots, or potatoes, if fed too heavily may
cause a goitre. Keeping the ewes in closely
cramped quarters, where it is warm and the ven-
tilation poor, or not giving them enough exercise
out-of-doors may also result in this condition.

For the lamb born with a large goitre nothing
can be done. A goitre is occasionally formed ona
grown sheep. Painting with tincture of iodine two
or three times daily will often remove the goitre.
“UISUODSTAA JO APISIOATUL) OY} Te daoys suiddiqy “‘[¢ aLv Id

 

 

 
CHAPTER V.
SHEARING AND DIPPING THE FLOCK.

When warm weather comes on, flockowners
should begin to think about shearing their sheep.
In the Eastern, Middle, and Southern States, shear-
ing commences about April 1 in most instances.
Sheep in the Western States are, however, sheared
somewhat later. Of course the time of shearing
will depend largely upon the weather, the season,
and the locality. Some sheepowners wait much
later than the date mentioned for they know that
when sheep are sheared real late in the season
and after they have been on grass for a long time
they have more yolk in their wool and hence
shear a heavier fleece than when they are sheared
early. The writer has known of cases where sheep
were compelled to carry their heavy coats as late
as the middle of June, through the hottest kind of
weather, all because an increase of yolk and a
heavier fleece were desired. It is true that the
wool will contain more yolk when the sheep have
been on grass for a long time previous to shear-
ing, but there are disadvantages which more than
counterbalance this fact. Often while flockown-
ers are waiting for an increase of yolk in the wool

(89)
90 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

the sheep will lose part of the wool on their bel-
lies, necks and rears. Just as apples will drop off
the tree when they are ripe, wool on sheep will
fall off when ripe.

Moreover, when hot weather comes on while
the sheep are still unshorn they will suffer greatly
from the heat, and for this reason will lose flesh
rapidly. When sheep are put on grass, owing to
the resultant looseness of their bowels, their fleeces
may get soiled, which lowers the quality of the
fleece and also makes shearing disagreeable.

The cruelty of allowing the unshorn sheep to
suffer from the heat should also be considered. It
seems pitiful to see sheep lying by the side of a
fence with their mouths wide open and tongues
hanging out, panting and suffering from heat in
the hot weather, simply because the owner is wait-
ing for an increase of yolk and a heavier fleece.
If flockmasters would only consider for a moment
that the loss of flesh and body weight and the dan-
ger of the shedding of wool is far greater than
any possible gain in yolk, then such foolish ideas
would not so generally prevail. It is therefore
clear that when the weather begins to get warm
sheep ought to be freed from their heavy winter
clothes, and an intelligent sheep breeder never
thinks of waiting for more yolk. If sheep are fed
as they ought to be during the winter, a good
Shearing and Dipping the Flock. 91

amount of yolk will surely be found in their wool
when they are sheared, without waiting for grass
to put yolk into it. Washing before shearing is
no longer practiced since the woolen mills can
clean the wool much better and more cheaply
than the sheepman.

Shearing is now done mostly with machines,
which are great improvements over hand shears.
The shearing machine has the following advan-
tages over the hand shears: First, the work is
done more rapidly than with a hand shears; sec-
ond, it is a neater and smoother job; third, sheep
are not cut into nearly as much as with a hand
shears; fourth, it is easier to learn shearing with
the machine; fifth, using a shearing machine is
not so hard on the shearer’s wrist as using a hand
shears; and sixth, a larger amount of wool is ob-
tained because the sheep can be clipped closer.
When a man is once familiar with the use of the
machine he can shear many more sheep a day,
and he can hardly be induced to go back to the
use of the hand shears. A careless shearer should
not be employed to shear either with hand shears
or with a machine, for a rough, careless man can
hurt the sheep badly by either method. Such a
shearer, however, will cut the sheep worse with a
machine than with the hand shears. If the cutter
is held down too far on one side a furrow is plowed
92 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

through the sheep’s skin. Some shearers who are
not careful when performing this work cut off the
ends of the teats of ewes, which spoils them for

 

 

 

Pratre 32. Shearing sheep with a shearing machine at the University
of Wisconsin.

nursing lambs. Others cut off the end of the
vagina, which, it is claimed by some authorities,
stops them from further breeding. Such men as
Shearing and Dipping the Flock. 93

these should certainly not be allowed to shear
sheep.

In older countries shearers tie up all four legs
of the sheep to prevent it from struggling. This
old-fashioned way, however, should not be prac-
ticed in America. A sheep, if properly held, can-
not do a great deal of struggling. Just how to hold
the sheep in the many different positions neces-
sary while shearing it could hardly be fully ex-
plained, but must be learned through actual prac-
tice. The best way for the beginner to learn how
to hold and shear sheep is to watch an expert
shear a few sheep. It may be stated, however,
that in every position the sheep must be held so
as to draw the skin tight where the shearer is
working. The sheep should also always be held in
the most comfortable position instead of in the
cramped positions in which some shearers hold
sheep. One of the positions in which the sheep
is held while being sheared is shown in the ac-
companying illustration.

TYING UP THE FLEECE.

The fleeces should be neatly tied up in order to
make them look attractive to the buyer. The side
of the fleece which was next to the sheep’s skin
should be placed on the outside when the fleece
is tied up, in such a way that no parts of the for-
94 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

mer exterior of the fleece when on the sheep are
seen in the bundle. This can be done very easily
by a good shearer, as he should be able to take off
a fleece from a sheep all in one piece, like an over-
coat, with the exception, perhaps, of the belly
piece. Regular wool twine should be used in tying
up the wool. Binder twine or other sharp cord
should never be used, as small bits of fiber get
into the wool and must be picked out by hand
since they do not take dyes. Therefore manufact-
urers object seriously to the use of such twine, and
make a reduction in the price of the wool if it is
used. All filthy parts on the fleece, if there should
be any at all, should be separated at the time the
fleece is tied up and never tied up with the fleece,
for a man can fool a buyer but once.

Since the first publication of this work, however,
anew kind of wool twine has been made which fills
all requirements from the standpoint of the woolen
manufacturer, namely, the paper twine. This new
twine, which can be bought cheaply, is smooth and
never tangles up with the fibers of the wool. As
wool buyers pay more per pound for fleeces that
are free from the sisals, which cannot be left in
the wool, this kind of twine is highly reeommended
and should be used wherever sheep are sheared.

A wool buyer once told the writer about a man
from whom he had bought very heavy fleeces of
 

Shearing and Dipping the Flock. 95

wool. On closer examination he found that the
fleeces had been sprinkled with sand at the time
of tying them up, to make them heavier in weight.
Another man had tied up a sheep’s skin in a fleece.
Still others had turned their sheep out during a

 

 

 

Pirate 33. An unusually heavy fleece, weighing 17.25 pounds, taken
from a Shropshire ram at the University of Wisconsin.

rain in order to increase the weight of wool. All
such tricks as these are soon disclosed, and in the
future work strongly against the men who perform
them. Therefore, brother sheepmen, always be
honest and do not be guilty of such trickery, for
you will find that honesty is always the best policy.
96 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

A wool box may be used in tying up the fleeces,
the use of which will add greatly to their attract-
iveness. The accompanying illustration shows a
well tied fleece, lying on the wool box by means of
which it was tied. However, wool buyers prefer
to have the fleeces tied up neatly without the use
of the wool box, as less twine is then used. If one
is careful in removing the fleece from the sheep a
fleece may be tied up in a satisfactory manner
without the use of the wool box.

SHEARING EWES BEFORE OR AFTER LAMBING.

When ewes have been bred late in the fall, which
of course, brings them to lamb late in the spring,
they can be sheared before lambing. Shearing the
ewes before lambing has the following advantages:
Ewes sheared before coming in keep much cleaner
at the rear than those with their wool on. There
is also no danger of lambs biting off wool from
their mothers and swallowing it, which will cause
balls of wool to form in their intestines, thus stop-
ping up the bowels and killing the lambs. When
the ewes are shorn lambs will find their mother’s
teats more easily, and the time taken to trim the
wool away around the udder is saved. An-
other point in favor of shearing before lambing
is the fact that ewes with their coats on often re-
main outdoors during rains or severe cold, and
Shearing and Dipping the Flock. 97

their lambs naturally stay at their side. The old
sheep, being well protected by their fleeces, do
not mind the rain or the cold, but the young lamb
with its short wool gets chilled or wet to the skin
and catches cold, this often bringing on pneu-
monia and finally resulting in the death of the
lamb. On the other hand, if the old sheep have
been sheared at this time and the barn doors are
left open for them, they will run to the barn and
seek shelter just as soon as it turns cold or begins
to rain, thereby protecting not only themselves
but also their lambs. Some of our best sheep
breeders favor shearing before lambing, and keep
up this practice each year. Of course, these men
do their shearing themselves and in the most care-
ful manner.

When ewes are sheared before lambing, only
the most competent and careful shearers should
ever perform the work, and even such men must
use extreme care and patience to make sure that
none of the ewes heavy with lamb are injured, re-
sulting in abortion. Therefore, unless the most
competent and painstaking shearers can be se-
cured, in spite of the advantages of shearing be-
fore lambing, the writer would in general advise
that ewes lamb before being sheared. However,
when ewes are due to lamb late in the season it
may be best to shear them before they lamb.

7
98 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

DIPPING A NECESSITY.

At least once a year the flock should be dipped
in order to rid it from ticks and also from lice, if
the latter should be present. The best time to dip
is shortly after shearing. A nice, warm, sunshiny
day should be selected for this work, and it should
preferably be done in the morning so as to give
the sheep a chance to dry out again before night.
Any one of the many recommended coal tar dips
may be used. Dipping the flock is strongly ad-
vised not only for the purpose of killing ticks and
lice but also in order to promote the health of the
skin and to further the growth of the wool. For
this reason many sheep breeders dip each year,
in spite of the fact that they know their flocks are
free from vermin. Many even dip twice a year,
in spring and in fall, because they realize the bene-
fit derived therefrom.

In case a flockmaster does not find time to dip
his whole flock because of the rush of other farm
work, he ought at least dip the lambs in the
spring. As a rule not many flocks are entirely
free from ticks. If the old sheep have been sheared
clean and no patches of wool are left on them
ticks will move off from them and find new homes
and shelter on the lambs, which have more wool
on them at this time than the old sheep that have
been sheared. Eight to ten days after shearing
Shearing and Dipping the Flock. 99

all the ticks will have moved off from the old »
sheep onto the lambs, and the lambs should be
dipped to destroy them. It is preferable, however,
to dip the entire flock if possible.

In dipping the sheep it is not necessary for the
head of the sheep to get into the dip, as the ticks
or lice will hardly ever be found here, since the
sheep can rub and scratch its head easily, thus
keeping these pests off from this part. Further-
more, it is not the best thing for a sheep to get
the dip into its mouth, eyes, and ears. However,
all other parts of the body up to the head, should
-be kept in the dip not less than one minute. The
dip will be more effective if the solution is luke-
warm, and the sheep will not then be chilled when
taking a bath in it.

The cut on page 88 shows the pen into which
sheep are driven when they are to be dipped, the
dipping vat, and the draining pen, where the sheep
remain until they have nicely drained. The vat
is made of galvanized iron, and is movable, so
that after all the sheep are dipped, the vat can be
stored away in the draining pen, where it will be
well protected and will therefore last for many
years. The size of the vat necessary depends on
the size of the flock kept on the farm. The drain-
ing pen is so arranged that all the dip which runs
off the sheep while they are dripping runs back
into the vat.
100 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

The writer does not understand why dipping is
neglected by some sheep owners. It is impossible
for sheep to make any progress when they are cov-
ered with ticks and lice which annoy them day
and night. When sheep are infested with these
pests they have no rest at all. They are kept busy
biting their wool and scratching continuously and
seeking every sharp corner or post to rub against
in fighting the insects.

It is difficult to estimate how much feed is wasted
and how much flesh is lost when ticks or lice are
present in a flock. It is certain, however, that a
great portion of the feed consumed by the sheep
helps to support these pests. They suck much
blood out of the sheep, and this blood which the
sheep needs for its maintenance must be restored
through the feed, which should be used by the
sheep for its growth and development. Therefore
it is very unwise to let sheep suffer from such
pests through failure to dip them at least once a
year.

TRIMMING THE FEET.

It is most essential that sheep have their feet
taken care of just as well as any other part of their
bodies. It is necessary to attend to their feet, first,
to prevent foot rot, and second, to avoid crooked
and broken-down pasterns. There is some dif-
Shearing and Dipping the Flock. 101

ference in the amount of care necessary for the
various breeds of sheep. In general, the feet of
sheep which produce the finest grade of wool need

 

 

 

 

 

Piare 34. Trimming the hoofs of a sheep with a jack-knife.

most attention. The hoof of the Merino, which
has the finest wool, grows much more rapidly
than that of other breeds, and the feet of South-
downs, the breed next finest in wool, also need
more attention than do the Oxfords, Cheviots, or
102 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

long wool breeds, which have the coarser fleeces.
However, any breed of sheep ought to have its
feet trimmed at least twice a year, in spring and
fall. Fine wool breeds, as mentioned before,
should be given attention in this respect oftener
than twice a year. When sheep are neglected with
regard to this matter the outside horny part of the
hoof grows over the sole. A hollow space is thus
left between hoof and sole in which dirt collects,
and this finally begins to make the foot sore, with
the result that foot rot sets in.

 

SSS
Piate 35. Pruning knife, or clippers, used in removing the largest
portions of the surplus hoof.

As has been mentioned, the second danger is in
crooked and broken-down pasterns. Many good
sheep have been disregarded in the show ring on
account of crooked feet and broken-down pas-
terns, due to neglect of the shepherd in not trim-
ming their feet at the proper time. Foot trim-
ming is a phase of sheep husbandry that requires
the flockmaster’s attention just the same as feed-
ing and shearing.
Shearing and Dipping the Flock. 103

In the spring after shearing is the best time to
trim the feet of the flock. In order to do this work
quickly it is well to turn the sheep out on damp
ground for several hours, which will clean their
hoofs and make the horny part soft so that it will
cut easily. A clipper, also called a pruning knife,
such as is shown in the illustration, may be used
to remove the largest portion of the surplus hoof,
and a sharp jack-knife to finish it. If the feet are
properly softened a jack-knife may do all the
work satisfactorily. The hoof should be cut down
so as to make it level with the sole of the foot. In
some cases one side will need a little more cutting
than the other in order to make the foot stand
straight when placed on the ground. A. O. Fox,
one of the oldest and foremost sheep breeders in
Wisconsin, once said to the writer: “A shepherd
who does not take care of the feet of his flock is
just as dangerous as the one who does not feed
his flock properly,” and this is certainly true.
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CHAPTER VI.

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF
PARASITES.

The flockmaster has little work with his sheep
in the summer when they are on pasture, aside
from keeping them free from parasites. These in-
sects have caused the loss of thousands of lambs
and sheep and have, in some cases, discouraged the
flockowners so thoroughly that they have dropped
out of the sheep business. Among these parasites
the stomach worm is perhaps the one that has
done the most damage to sheep husbandry. On
land where rotation of crops is not practiced and
old meadow pastures that cannot be tilled are used
continuously during many years for pasturing
sheep, the infection with parasites is much greater
than on land where the rotation plan is followed
and sheep are changed to new, fresh ground each
year. The danger of stomach worms is not
nearly so great in winter as in summer, and the
months of July, August, and September are the
most serious times for the flockowner. The writer
has known, nevertheless, of a few instances where
sheep have died in winter and early spring from
infection with these pests.

(105)
106 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

SYMPTOMS OF STOMACH WORMS.

A person who is familiar with the subject of
sheep husbandry can easily detect any member in
the flock that is infested with stomach worms. The
sheep so infested usually hangs back from the rest
of the flock, walks somewhat stiff, and shows loss
of flesh. Its wool becomes harsh and appears dry
and in many cases the sheep will scour. The sheep
looks weak and dull and lets its head hang low,
and it often happens that a soft kind of swelling
forms under the lower jaw during the day time
and disappears again by the next morning. In
this condition sheep eat a great deal of earth wher-
ever they find it and drink more water than usual.
Some of them withstand these worms for a long
time, while others die within two weeks to ten
days or even a shorter period from the time they
first show symptoms of the disease. Many sheep
may die in a flock, and yet the owner will have no
clue as to the cause of their death. In order to
make sure that a sheep which shows any of the
foregoing symptoms is suffering from worms, pull
down its lower eyelid and note the color of the
mucous membrane, or inside lining, of the eyelid.
It should be of a pink color, showing an abundance
of blood. If, however, it is of a pale, yellowish
color and the skin on the side of the sheep also
appears pale when the wool is parted, the owner
Prevention and Treatment of Parasites. 107

may invariably be certain that stomach worms
are at work in the sheep. This pale condition is
due to the fact that these worms suck all the blood
out of the animal, and it will finally die because of
this loss of blood. When lambs which are badly
infested with these worms are killed they have
been found to have scarcely any blood left in them.

Stomach worms are only found in the fourth
stomach of the sheep. When this stomach is care-
fully opened a dark brown fluid will be observed,
which contains thousands of little worms of a red-
dish color, about three-fourths of an inch or an
inch long and as thick as a hair. This mass of
worms is responsible for the death of the lamb.
It may be in place to repeat here that older sheep
are not subject to stomach worms as commonly
as are lambs, but the writer wishes it clearly un-
derstood that older sheep are not entirely exempt
from these pests. As far as is known these worms
get their start in the body of the older sheep and
pass out in the droppings. It is thought that when
these worms leave the sheep they are loaded with
eggs which soon hatch. The young worms do not
stay down on the ground but seek a temporary
abode on the stems and leaves of grass and are
thus swallowed by sheep grazing thereon. These
worms are perhaps thickest around the shade trees
in pastures, where sheep spend most of their time
108 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

during the hottest hours of the summer day. Most
of the droppings of the ewes are found here and
consequently the freshest and nicest grass grows
in this place. The innocent lambs get up from
their shady resting place, begin nibbling on this
fresh-looking grass, eat grass and worms together,
and the worms find their natural homes in the
lambs’ stomachs and begin the work of destruc-
tion at once. It is peculiar that older sheep pos-
sess a certain instinct which keeps them from eat-
ing very much near shade trees but leads them off
for a distance, just as if they realized the danger
at hand. The lambs, like other young animals,
are easily caught in the trap, and thus are infested
with the worms more than the older sheep. The
older sheep also seem to possess more power to re-
sist the attacks of stomach worms. Experiments
carried on at the experiment stations have clearly
demonstrated that lambs get these parasites on
pasture. At the Ohio Experiment Station lambs
that were fed all summer in a barn were kept free
from parasites, while others that were turned out
to pasture were badly infested.

THE PREVENTION OF STOMACH WORMS.

It is far easier to prevent infection with stomach
worms than it is to destroy the worms when the
sheep have become infested with them. Nothing
Prevention and Treatment of Parasites. 109

can be more highly recommended for the pre-
vention of stomach worms in sheep than the fre-
quent change of pasture, for sheep become infested
with these pests only by swallowing the worms
while grazing. If possible sheep should be changed
to fresh, clean pasture every two to three weeks
during June, July, August, and September, for dur-
ing warm weather otherwise clean pastures may
become infested in even less time by sheep graz-
ing thereon. Fields on which no sheep or goats
have grazed for a year, and plots which have been
plowed and cultivated since sheep grazed on them
are practically free from infection. Old blue
grass pastures are especially to be avoided. It
is thus clear that annual pastures, such as rape,
furnish clean pasture for the flock. In the warmer
sections it is necessary to begin changing to fresh
pasture earlier in the spring and to change more
frequently in the summer. This method requires
several separate, clean pasture lots, but flockmas-
ters who have followed this method have had little
trouble with parasites.

In some cases it is impossible for the flockmas-
ter to change pastures as frequently as has been
recommended above. For such instances it is to
be hoped that some remedy may be found which
will be a sure preventative of stomach worms.
During the last few years some medicated stock
110 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

salts have been placed on the market which the
manufacturers claim will prevent and destroy all
parasites in sheep, but at this time the writer is
unable to state whether these products will do the
work satisfactorily or not. Some breeders claim
that feeding tobacco prevents parasites. Others
recommend the use of turpentine and wood ashes,
mixed with salt.

Sheep should never be allowed to drink stag-
nant water from old ponds or mud holes in which
all sorts of insects live. When sheep are allowed
to drink such stagnant water, covered with a green
scum, they are liable to become infested with
parasites and also contract many diseases such as
anthrax and others nearly as serious. The writer
wishes to again impress upon flockmasters the
great danger of allowing their sheep to drink such
stagnant water. Fresh, pure water should be pro-
vided for the sheep every day of the year, and as
much of it as they want. The idea so commonly
held that sheep do not need water is entirely
wrong. Sheep should always have access to fresh,
pure water, since they need it just as much as any
other farm animal.

TREATMENT FOR STOMACH WORMS.

A number of remedies can be recommended
which have proved satisfactory for destroying
Prevention and Treatment of Parasites. 111

stomach worms. Gasoline, turpentine, benzine,
and others are excellent for this purpose, and will
also destroy tape worms in sheep. Among these
remedies gasoline is the writer’s favorite, for in
his experience this has given the best results.
The unfortunate lambs or sheep that are to un-
dergo this treatment should be separated from the
rest of the flock in the evening and be shut off in
a barnyard or perhaps a stable, where they can-
not get anything to eat or drink over night. In
the morning the stomachs will be fairly empty
and this will render it possible for the dose to en-
ter quickly into the fourth stomach of the sheep,
where the worms are located. The sheep will
therefore now be ready for the first dose.

SIZE OF DOSE.

When either gasoline, turpentine, or benzine is
used, the size of the dose is practically the same.
The dose for lambs is as follows:

5 ounces of cow’s whole milk.
1 tablespoonful of gasoline.
1 tablespoonful of raw linseed oil.

This dose, which is to be mixed up separately
for each lamb, should be well shaken in a small-
necked bottle like that in Plate 37 and given to the
lamb. For older sheep the dose of gasoline, tur-
112 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

pentine, or benzine is from one tablespoonful to
one and one-half tablespoonfuls (not teaspoon-
fuls) according to the size of the sheep, while the
amount of milk and of linseed oil is the same. This
treatment, when repeated for each animal for
three successive mornings, will
certainly, if handled right, be a
cure for stomach worms. Of
course, each time the sheep must
have been deprived of all food
over night. The dose may be given
every alternate day in case the
lambs have become very weak
before the trouble was noticed.

   

Some authorities reeommend that

  

another single dose of the mix-
; ture be given ten days after the
third dose. In former years the

|
L

Prare 37. Drench- gasoline for dosing, but in later
ing bottle.

writer used only the milk and

 

years he has also added linseed
oil, for the reason that lambs take this mixture
more easily and do not mind the strength of the
gasoline so much when it passes through the
mouth and throat. This linseed oil also helps to
carry off the worms that are killed, but does not
weaken the dose in any way.
Prevention and Treatment of Parasites. 113

DRENCHING SHEEP.

Great precautions must be taken when admin-
istering medicine to sheep so as not to strangle
them, as even some older sheepmen have choked
lambs by drenching them.
Giving medicine to sheep

is not a serious job, how-

  

ever, if enough care is ex-
ercised. In administering
medicine place the lambs
to be treated in a narrow
space so that they may be
caught without chasing,
catch one, and back it into
a corner. If the sheep is
small enough, straddle it,
otherwise stand on_ its
right side as is shown in
the accompanying illustra-
tion. Now place your left
hand on its jaw with the
thumb of the left hand in its mouth on the tongue
and between the front and back teeth, opening the
mouth so that the neck of the bottle may be placed
on its tongue. Be careful not to hold its head up

=

WoT

  

 

Pirate 38. The manner in
which a large sheep is drenched:

too high, for in this unnatural position it may

choke. Pour the contents of the bottle slowly down
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Piate 39. How to drench any sheep which is not too large to be straddled.
Prevention and Treatment of Parasites. 115

its throat, perhaps one-third or one-half of it at
one time. Wait for a minute, then give some more
until all is taken. At least one or two pauses
should be made in order that a part of the dose
may not enter the lungs and prove fatal to the
sheep. The fingers of the left hand by which the
lamb’s head is held should be left free, and the
under jaw should not be held tight up against the
upper jaw, which would, of course, prevent the
lamb from swallowing, and consequently the med-
icine would run down into its lungs and kill the
lamb instantly. An incorrect method of holding
lambs when drenching has killed many of them.
Some shepherds practice setting the sheep on its
rump with its head held high, but in the author’s
experience this has not been found advisable.
When the sheep’s head is held too high it cannot
swallow very well and the dose runs down its
windpipe into its lungs. This method of holding
the sheep should be followed not alone when sheep
are drenched to kill parasites but in all cases
where it is necessary for medicine to be given. Be
very particular to keep the fingers of your left
hand off from the under jaw while the medicine
is being given, and all will be well. Shortly after
dosing the lambs with gasoline or other remedies
they may again be turned out on grass each day.
116 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

SHEEP WITH GRUB IN THE HEAD.

Another evil to be feared in sheep husbandry is
grub in the head of sheep. Experienced sheepmen
generally admit that sheep which are grazing in
brush and woodland are in greater danger of being
troubled with these grubs than sheep which are
feeding on clear pastures.

In the hot summer weather while the sheep is
resting beside bushes and shady trees chewing its
cud or perhaps sleeping, a big fly lights on its nose.
Generally a little fluid, not at all harmful, is run-
ning from the nostrils of the sheep. This fly settles
down on the nostrils and at times will even crawl
up into the sheep’s nose in order to feed on this
fluid. In the meantime it also deposits some eggs or
perhaps young worms, which the sheep in breath-
ing draws up into its head between the eyes where
there are cavities in the nasal passages. The eggs
hatch, or the worms develop into large-sized
grubs, which look like those commonly found un-
der rotten stumps or plowed sod ground. The
only difference is that the grubs found in the head
of sheep, when full grown, are not quite half the
size of those seen in the field or under stumps.
In some instances as many as eleven of such grubs
of different sizes and ages have been found in a
single sheep that had died with grub in the head.
Prevention and Treatment of Parasites. 117

When a sheep has grub in the head it lets its
head hang down to the ground, grinds its teeth
frequently, turns its head to one side, then to the
other, and then back towards its shoulders, and
often walks around ina circle. A green liquid may
run out of its nose, and of course it has also lost
its appetite. When sheep become infested with
grub in the head it is a very fatal matter, as no re-
liable cure for it has as yet been found.

Some years ago the writer took a trip to Europe
to study sheep husbandry on that continent. He
there met some of the oldest shepherds, who had
spent their whole lives in herding and caring for
sheep and had therefore gained much practical
experience. These shepherds claimed that some
sheep could be saved by letting a little snuff to-
bacco thoroughly mixed with linseed oil run into
the sheep’s nostrils. By holding the sheep’s head
high when the mixture was poured into the nostrils
it would find its way to the place where the grubs
were lodged. The grubs would be disturbed by
this snuff and the sheep would begin to sneeze
and thus force the grubs out of the head. This
may be a good remedy, and those sheepmen who
are troubled with this pest might give it a trial,
but the author has had no occasion to test it as he
has always succeeded in preventing grub in the
head by the method which follows.
118 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

PREVENTION.

This disease in sheep can be avoided by doing a
little extra work. If no other time is suitable for
this purpose it can be done in the evening after
supper when the other chores are completed, as the

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prare 40. Five purebred Southdown yearling wethers fitted by
the University of Wisconsin for the 1915 International show which was
not held because of the prevalence of the foot and mouth disease.

days are longest in fly time, which is in summer. It
is an old saying that where there is a will there is a
way, and so it is here. A man who has a small
flock can probably take the time, say every two
or three weeks, to smear some pine tar on the noses
of the sheep. Even if the sheep eat a little of it,
it will not harm them, on the contrary, it is good
Prevention and Treatment of Parasites. 119

for them. The tar will keep the flies away from
the sheeps’ noses, and in fact away from any place
where it is present, for flies despise pine tar.

It is important to see to it that sheep have free
access to salt at all times of the year, whether they
are in the barn or on pasture. This salt, however,
should be placed in a salt box and not thrown on
the ground, as some careless flockowners do. In
summer smear the bottom and sides of the salt
trough with a heavy coat of pine tar, and then
sprinkle the salt on top of it. In licking up the
salt sheep cannot avoid getting some tar on their
noses, and herein lies the whole secret of this
method of preventing grubs. The flies will now
no longer bother their noses. This is a simple but
effective method of preventing grub in the head.
Rock salt, of course, can not be used for this pur-
pose, but common salt is now so cheap that it
hardly pays to use the rock salt anyway.

In Canada the writer has seen still another
method practiced. A log is selected and holes
bored into it with an auger, each hole being wide
and deep enough so that the sheep can get its nose
into it nearly up to the eyes. These holes are about
three feet apart. They are smeared on the inside
with a heavy coat of pine tar and the holes are
filled up with salt. In this manner the sheep get
even more tar on their noses than they will in
120 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

eating salt from the trough. Either of these meth-
ods is a good and simple way to keep sheep free
from grub in the head.

BLOAT IN SHEEP.

Sheep, as a rule, are very greedy. When turned
on some new pasture, such as clover, alfalfa, or
rape, they eat too fast and too much and conse-
quently bloat. Any one of these forages will bloat
sheep very quickly when the crop is too young,
fresh, and juicy. The weather conditions also have
something to do with this. Even if sheep have
been grazing on clover or alfalfa fields without
any symptoms of bloating for some time, all dan-
ger is not yet over. Some night a heavy rain or
thunderstorm may sweep over the country, and
the next day be very warm and sultry, indicating
more rain to follow. On such a day as this, no
matter how safe your sheep have been on this
same field before, something is very likely to hap-
pen. There is not so much danger in the forenoon
as in the afternoon, especially late in the afternoon
towards sunset and evening. The moisture in the
ground from a previous rain seems to have an
effect on the clover, and the latter then seems to
form more gas when in the sheep’s stomach, re-
sulting in bloat. Many shepherds have been in
great anxiety when they came to their flock and
Prevention and Treatment of Parasites. 121

found five or six sheep lying dead before them,
bloated as big as barrels, and others suffering
from bloat.

Sheep that have eaten large quantities of clover,
rape, or alfalfa and have become bloated, are in
terrible distress. The gas rising from fermenta-
tion causes the first stomach to distend to its ut-
most capacity. This stomach on account of its
abnormal size presses upon the lungs, and conse-
quently interferes with the respiration, sometimes
stopping it entirely, in which case death follows,
or the stomach may even burst from the pressure.

REMEDY FOR BLOAT.

Trocars and knives have been used in tapping
the bloated sheep to let the gas escape from the
stomach. The writer must confess that he never
had any success with either of the two, perhaps
due to his own fault in operation. But he takes
pride in giving to his readers a remedy, still un-
known to many and not yet published elsewhere.
When the sheep that is bloated is not found alto-
gether too late, and the overloaded stomach has not
been pressing too heavily upon the lungs or has not
burst, the sheep can be saved. Quickly find a pail,
run to the first cow you see that is giving milk,
draw out from a pint to a quart of it, come back to
the sheep as quickly as possible, and give about a
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Prevention and Treatment of Parasites. 123

half pint of the warm milk to the sheep by means of
the drenching bottle. If it does not stop groaning
and stretching in a short time give it another half
pint of milk. Soon after this you will see the
animal draw in its bulged-out sides and begin to
look smaller, and after a little it will have regained
its natural form. The writer has saved many
bloated sheep in this way. Remember that the
milk must be warm from the cow’s udder. Cold
milk does not absorb the gas as the warm milk
does. Give the milk as warm as possible, and be
careful not to choke the sheep when dosing it in
this bloated condition.

SOME COMMON MEDICINES HELPFUL TO THE FLOCK-
MASTER.

It is generally conceded that if a sheep once gets
sick not much can be done to save it. The writer,
however, is not exactly of this opinion. True
enough, if a sheep has pneumonia and its lungs are
badly affected death is generally the result. There
are other diseases which baffle even the knowl-
edge and control of veterinarians. In many in-
stances, however, the shepherd can himself treat
the sick sheep in lighter cases. For instance, if
a sheep suffers from constipation this trouble can
be removed by giving the sheep one or perhaps
two doses of epsom salts. The dose for an older
124 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

sheep is from four to five ounces and for a lamb
somewhat less. This salt is dissolved in warm
water and given in a drench. If the bowels do
not move in from five to six hours a second dose
may be given, adding a little castor oil to it. In
some bad cases an injection of warm water with
a little soap in it is helpful in getting the bowels
to move. A dose of epsom salts is also beneficial
for a sheep that has contracted a bad cold.

Little lambs sometimes become constipated from
their mother’s milk, in which cases one-half to one
teaspoonful of castor oil given the youngster once
or twice will remedy the trouble.

COLIC, OR “STRETCHES.”

This trouble is caused by the sheep eating frozen
roots, corn silage that contains a great amount of
acid or which has been frozen a little, or any
other food that chills the stomach of the sheep.
The symptoms of colic or so-called stretches in
sheep are: stretching the body much longer than
it really is; turning over on one side, then on the
other; lying down for a few minutes, and then get-
ting up again; stretching the body out again so
that the sheep appears to be sway-backed.

A tablespoonful of sweet spirits of nitre given
in a little water will relieve the sheep of its pains.
Sometimes a second dose has to be given if the
sheep is not relieved of its distress by the first dose.
Prevention and Treatment of Parasites. 125
WETHERS WITH SORE SHEATHS.

Wethers often become sore at the end of their
sheath and penis. Such cases should be treated
by injections of permanganate of potash solution
with a small syringe, repeating a number of times
and using one-half teaspoonful of permanganate
of potash to a quart of warm water. After each
injection a little iodoform should be applied to the
sore on the end of the sheath.

MAGGOTS IN MIDSUMMER AND FLY TIME.

Another pest that needs the shepherd’s close at-
tention during the hot weather and fly time is the
maggot. These maggots have caused great loss to
the flockowner and a most terrible death to the
poor, innocent sheep that are infested. It is ter-
rible to think of a harmless sheep being eaten alive
by hundreds of thousands of these maggots, which
steadily gnaw and feed on its body until finally the
animal succumbs, Yet this unhappy lot has befallen
many sheep. You may ask whether it is possible
for a person to be so cruel as to let his sheep be
eaten alive. It is true enough, but why and how
is this done? Simply because some people have
not yet learned what particular precautions must
be taken at certain times of the season in order to
prevent this evil, or they are altogether too care-
less in managing their flocks. For instance a man
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Prevention and Treatment of Parasites. 127

starts in sheep husbandry, is in earnest about it,
and wants to do the best he can. The first summer
he keeps sheep may be a very favorable one and
everything may run smoothly throughout the sea-
son. The next year the season may be much dif-
ferent, but he fears nothing because he had no
trouble whatever the first year. Some day he will
find a stumbling block in his way, which he has
not seen or heard of up to this time. He may find
one or two of his sheep lying dead in the pasture.
He makes an examination, and behold, what meets
his eye? Thousands and thousands of little white
maggots are having a feast on the dead sheep. He
now begins to wonder what could have been the
trouble with his sheep. It is a puzzle to him
whether these maggots got on to the sheep after it
had died, or whether they got on while it was still
alive and then killed it. Only a few years ago a
farmer came to this Station and asked for infor-
mation concerning the cause of the death of thir-
teen head of sheep, which he thought were eaten
up by worms. The writer asked the question:
“Where were the worms that killed your sheep,
inside the sheep’s body or on the outside?” The
farmer replied that many little white worms, about
half an inch long, were seen on the outside of the
sheep. Evidently maggots were at work on his
flock and he did not know it, as he stated that he
had never heard of maggots killing sheep.
128 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

CAUSE OF MAGGOTS.

Maggots on sheep are caused by blow-flies. Fe-
male sheep are more apt to have maggots than
male sheep, although males also occasionally be-
come infested. Sheep sometimes get filthy on their
bodies, especially at the rear, caused either by
their scouring, or in the case of females by the
spattering of the urine on the wool. The so-called
blow-fly comes along, feeds on this filth, and mean-
while lays eggs there. These eggs hatch, forming
tiny worm-like larvae, which grow fast, and bur-
row into the flesh of the sheep. In a couple of
days a large patch of full grown maggots are pres-
ent on the sheep, more eggs are laid and hatch, and
in the course of three or four days maggots are
there by the thousands. On account of the rapid
increase in number these maggots move forward
and spread over the body of the sheep, and after
six or seven days the sheep dies a lingering death.

PREVENTION.

In hot weather and fly time the conscientious
shepherd makes it a point to inspect his flock in
the pasture at least once a day. If he should notice
any filthy portions of wool on any member in the
flock he will quickly get a pair of shears and cut
them off. He also will get a solution of some coal
tar sheep dip, mixed in the proportions of one
Prevention and Treatment of Parasites. 129

part of dip to seventy-five parts of water, and
cleanse the filthy portions thoroughly. It may be
added here that if no dip is left over after sheep
dipping time is past some more ought to be se-
cured for use during the summer. The odor left
on the sheep by this solution will keep the flies
away for quite a long period. When proper at-
tention is given the sheep, maggots will not find
their way onto any members of the flock.

TREATMENT OF MAGGOTS.

When sheep are already infested with maggots
the same treatment should be used as is used to
prevent maggots. The wool must be cut away as
close to the skin as possible and as far as these
miserable pests are lodged. The infested por-
tion should then be washed with a soiution of dip
consisting of one part of dip to fifty of water.
As the maggots are unable to withstand the odor
of the dip they will then fall to the ground. Some-
times they will already have made large holes in
the body of the sheep, in which case care must be
taken to cleanse these thoroughly and remove all
maggots. It is a good plan to smear some pine tar
in these holes after all the maggots have been
cleaned out.

Many sheepmen use turpentine to kill maggots.
The writer, however, does not favor its use for
| 9
130 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

the reason that it is too strong and sharp and bites
the skin of the sheep, making it very raw and
causing the animal severe pain. A solution of
Zenoleum or Creso dip are mild on the skin, are
disinfectants, and at the same time have a healing
effect.
CHAPTER VII.
SUMMER FEEDING AND CARE.

After the winter and early spring work is all
done, the flock is put out on pasture to enjoy the
young, juicy grass. The shepherd should be care-
ful to provide pure, fresh water, salt, and shade
for the sheep on pasture, in order that the flock
may thrive properly. At this time he is relieved
more or less from the restless hours and worry of
lambing, shearing, and feet trimming, and is en-
joying a little rest. He must now, however, begin
to think about work that may be done in the field
to provide some kind of forage to help him out
with his flock at the time when pastures are gen-
erally short and scanty on account of the dry
weather of midsummer. He must also bear in
mind that when the time comes to wean lambs he
should have a fresh piece of pasture for them away
from the older sheep. In some cases the lambs
may be grazed on a field from which the first crop
of hay has been taken. Even if such a pasture is
available a piece of rape should be sown in the
spring early enough to be ripe July 25 to August
10, the usual time for weaning lambs, for rape is
an excellent fodder for lambs. Indeed rape has

(131)
“BULWOA AY “SOIG
sulyy “S A Aq UMOYS ‘OTE ‘euoNeuJeyUT oy} Je oMO PUR WeI Jo|[Moquey UoTdwueYy) “EP ALVIg

 

 

 

 

 
Summer Feeding and Care. 133

an unusual value for feeding all classes of sheep,
and a great amount of feed can be obtained from
an acre. It may be sown broadcast, or it may be
drilled in. If time permits, it is far better to sow
it in rows thirty inches apart, as much more feed
can then be grown on an acre and the crop can
also be cultivated, thus holding the weeds in check.
Sheep will then waste but little of the rape when
turned into it, as they will walk between the rows
and eat on both sides.

Roots, such as rutabagas and turnips, should also
be sown for late fall and winter feeding. Good
roots are just as well liked by sheep in the win-
ter time as cake and pie are liked by man. They
should be kept in a well-ventilated cellar where
they will not freeze or rot. Cabbage is an excel-
lent feed for all classes of sheep, but is usually too
expensive to feed extensively. However, where
large fields of cabbage are grown for the market,
sheep can well be fed the leaves and unsalable
heads which are left after the crop is harvested.

SUGAR BEETS AND MANGELS A DANGEROUS FEED FOR
RAMS AND WETHERS.

For many years sheep breeders in this country
as well as in England have been aware of the fact
that sugar beets and mangels are dangerous for
ram and wether feeding. Trials covering five years
134 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

at the Iowa Experiment Station have shown this
to be true. The writer in his earlier years, not
having had as much experience as he should have
had, learned costly lessons by feeding these roots
to rams and wethers and consequently losing a
number of good, high-priced animals. Mangels and
sugar beets contain some alkali substances which
affect the kidneys and form gravel stones in the
kidneys and bladder, stopping up the passage of
the urinary canal. When this passage is blocked,
rams and wethers suffer terribly and die within
forty-eight hours, at most, on account of the burst-
ing of the bladder.

While these roots have proven so fatal to rams
and wethers the writer has fed mangels and sugar
beets extensively during many seasons to breed-
ing ewes and has never experienced any trouble
therefrom. This is probably due to the fact that
in rams and wethers the urinary canal is no more
than about one-sixteenth inch in diameter, and the
small stones forming in the bladder cannot pass
through the canal. The ewes, however, have a
much larger urinary canal, permitting the escape
of the stones.

FLUSHING THE EWES.

A breeding ewe, if expected to uphold her vital-
ity and vigor, needs a vacation once a year. She
may have been a good mother, a heavy milker, and
Summer Feeding and Care. 135

have raised one, two, or perhaps even three lambs.
Although she has had good care and pasture she
will naturally be run down somewhat in condition,
because the greatest portion of the feed she has
consumed has been utilized for the production of
milk. She therefore needs a rest before she is bred
again, and the time for her vacation will be be-
tween the weaning and breeding periods. During
this time the breeding ewe ought to be what is
commonly termed “flushed.” Flushing means
bringing the ewe from a thin condition into a good,
strong, vigorous condition in a short time. When
this is done the breeding ewe will be in the proper
condition to assume her duty again when the
breeding time arrives.

Flushing is highly recommended, for it has sev-
eral advantages. How can a ewe which has been
suckling her lamb all summer be brought into
proper shape to take up her new burden at breed-
ing time unless her lamb is weaned and she is
flushed before she is bred? If bred in a thin, run-
down condition she must resume work again im-
mediately and will probably be brought into win-
ter quarters thin and weak. In such condition she
will be subject to many more diseases. She will
be so delicate that any little cold which may at-
tack her in this condition is liable to cause her
death, while another ewe in good condition will
resist the attack.
136 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

Another benefit that may be of interest, which is
derived from the practice of flushing ewes, is the
fact that to a certain extent the flockmaster fol-
lowing this practice has control over the percent-
age of lambs dropped by his ewes the following
lambing time. It has been found that whenever
ewes and rams are mated that are both in a strong,
vigorous condition and full of vim more twins and
triplets may be expected. These results can, how-
ever, only be obtained when both sire and dam are
in good condition. If the ram is in good condition
and the ewe is thin, or if the reverse is the case,
then these results cannot be accomplished. Both
ram and ewe must be vigorous and strong.

Another point in favor of having the ewes
flushed before breeding is the fact that when prop-
erly flushed the flock of ewes will all breed within
a shorter time, thus shortening up the lambing
period. This will save the shepherd much loss of
sleep.

The writer does not know of any feed that will
flush ewes better and more cheaply than rape.
This plant, when fully matured, will not lead to
bloat in sheep. When the lower leaves on the stem
begin to turn yellow, as well as the tips of the
upper leaves, the rape is ripe and matured, and it
may now be fed with safety. The rape seems to
stimulate the inner organs of the sheep, making
Summer Feeding and Care. 137

the ewes vigorous and strong and causing them to
regain flesh. If, however, no rape has been grown
for this purpose the next best feed is grain, which
is of course more expensive. Oats have proved
satisfactory, and cabbage may also be recom-
mended.

CULLING THE EWE FLOCK.

Before breeding is to begin in the fall, the flock
ought to be culled. All ewes that have not proved
to be good producers and do not furnish enough
milk to raise at least one good lamb should be the
first to be culled out. All other ewes that have
broken mouths, or whose udders or teats have ac-
cidentally become spoiled, should be sold to the
butcher while still in a fleshy condition. At this
time the shepherd must judge as to which ewes
ought to be disposed of and which ought to be re-
tained. He knows every individual and knows
their records of production perhaps better than
the owner of the flock himself, who may make it a
point to inspect the flock but once in a while. Such
men make mistakes very easily as they generally
select the best looking ewes to be retained and
dispose of the thin looking ones, not knowing that
the fat ones did not give much milk, and conse-
quently are in fine trim at this time. Let the shep-
herd, who knows each ewe and knows what she
138 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

has done, do the culling, rather than someone else

who is not so familiar with the flock.
CULLING THE LAMB FLOCK.

Later in the fall the lamb flock should also be
culled. For the further improvement of the flock
all the best ewe lambs should be reserved each

 

 

 

 

Pirate 44. <A group of yearling wethers fitted at the University of
Wisconsin for classroom demonstration, 1898.

year, to take the place of the ewes that are culled
out and sold. We often hear of men who sell
their best ewe lambs and keep the inferior ones,
simply because the butcher pays a cent or so more
per pound for those of the more desirable class.
This is poor policy, and the owner is the loser in
the end. All other spare lambs may be sold when
the market is good and the prices high.
Summer Feeding and Care. 139
CARE AT BREEDING TIME.

The proper time to breed in the fall depends
entirely upon the judgment of the flockowner. If
he has warm quarters for early-born lambs, ewes
may be bred early; if such quarters cannot be pro-
vided, it is better not to have the lambs come so
soon. Another factor which determines the time
of breeding is whether lambs are to be sold for
early or for late market. The breeder must suit
himself, and should act according to existing con-
ditions.

Before the ram is allowed to come to the ewes
they should be nicely tagged. This means clipping
all surplus wool off from the end of the tail, which
materially aids the ram in mating with the ewes
and saves his vitality. It also insures less barren
ewes in the flock. The general appearance of a
flock of ewes is also greatly improved if they are
properly tagged.

NECESSITY OF SALT.

It has been stated elsewhere that sheep should
have access to salt at all times of the year, for salt
is an absolute necessity for them and when they
are deprived of it great loss sometimes results.
Salt furnishes chlorine for the digestive juices of
the stomach and is also required for the proper
functioning of many of the body organs. If salt
140 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

is not supplied the digestion of the shcep will be
impaired and serious consequences will follow.
Sheep crave salt, and when it is given to them only
once in a while they will usually eat too much at
one time. They will then drink excessive amounts
of water, which will upset the digestive organs
and often cause severe scouring. If salt is sup-
plied in abundance at all times, at no time will
the sheep consume an excessive amount. There-
fore, if all is to go well in the flock, one must not
fail to provide salt every day of the year.

KEEP DOWN BURDOCKS AND SANDBURS.

Burdocks and sandburs are bitter enemies to the
watchful flockmaster. When he notices that some
of the sheep have collected any of these mean burs,
he becomes alarmed, knowing that the appear-
ance of his flock is much injured. But this is not
all. He also realizes that the value of the wool is
lessened when it comes to selling it, since buyers
greatly object to wool in such a condition. Again,
suppose the shepherd wants to show some of his
sheep at the county fair. Can he do it when their
fleeces are matted together with these burs? He
may show them but they will not win any prizes,
as the fleeces of prize winners must be in good,
clean condition. The judge will not injure his
hands on such sheep by handling them, instead he
Summer Feeding and Care. 141

will pass them by. The writer has seen such sheep
at county fairs, but he did not prick his fingers by
handling them. If a shepherd wants to trim his
sheep a little, how can he do it if these burs are
present in the fleece? It may be done by spending
a great deal of time picking them out, but this is
a very slow and unpleasant job, and after much
picking the shepherd cannot even then get the
fleece into proper shape, to say nothing about
spoiling his sheep shears.

When the first sheep is noticed carrying some of
these pests a thorough search should be made over
the field in which the sheep are pasturing, and
wherever these miserable weeds are found they
should be cut down and burned, and should then
be fought to a finish until they are all destroyed.
The writer has never believed in Sunday work, ex-
cept performing the necessary chores, as the day
belongs to God and in the writer’s opinion no man
has ever gained much by doing work on Sunday
that should be done on Saturday or Monday. How-
ever, if on walking through the sheep pasture on
Sunday he should see a clump of burdocks, he
would immediately take out his jack-knife and
destroy them, because he despises them so much.
Of course, if there were many of them he would
not meddle with them on Sunday, but would go
after them on Monday morning before breakfast.
142 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.
DANGERS OF DEAD FURROWS.

The writer wishes to call the attention of the
beginner in the sheep business to the fact that when
the sheep are turned out on pasture it is a wise

 

 

 

 

Prare 45. First prize pure-bred Shropshire wether lamb at the In-
ternational, 1910, shown by the University of Wisconsin.

plan to look over the land to see if there are any
traps for them, that is, whether there are any shal-
low depressions, such as dead furrows, in the
field where the flock pastures. In such depres-
sions sheep like to lie down, especially over night.
Summer Feeding and Care. 143

These little hollows are exceedingly dangerous,
especially if they are not much wider than the
sheep, because sheep when lying down will some-
times roll over on their backs and on account of
the small space will find it impossible to turn back
again. The ground on both sides is higher, thus
affording the sheep no chance of getting up again,
and after lying in this position for two or three
hours it will die. Dead furrows in fields are per-
haps the most dangerous places for sheep to be
trapped this way.

It is discouraging to find a plump, broad-backed
ewe or lamb lying dead in one of these ditches or
dead furrows, with its four legs standing straight
up in the air. One will never find a thin, narrow-
backed sheep lying on its back, but in every in-
stance it is one of the very best in the flock. It is
taken for granted that older flockmasters need not
be warned to be cautious in this respect, for they
have probably long ago learned through experi-
ence the danger of such dead furrows and ditches.
It is an old saying that experience is the best
teacher. True enough, but the lesson learned
through self-experience is very often the most ex-
pensive one. How can the beginner with sheep be
expected to know all about small details if he
has not been warned by some one who has gone
through the mill and has paid for his grinding?
144 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

If men who have had long years of experience and
who take all the necessary precautions, sometimes
stumble, how many more mistakes must the be-
ginner make.

NUMBER OF SHEEP TO THE ACRE.

The question is often asked as to how many
sheep can be pastured on an acre. This is difficult
to answer since some acres produce three times as
much feed as others. It is generally admitted that
where one cow can be successfully pastured
throughout a season, from five to eight sheep can
be pastured. Since the larger breeds require more
feed, from five to six head could be pastured on
this area, while of the smaller ones as many as
eight could find sufficient feed. However, no posi-
tive statement can be made in this regard.
CHAPTER VIII.
FEEDING SHEEP FOR MARKET.

Feeding sheep for market has proved very prof-
itable to the men who have followed it extensively
for a number of years. Some men, however, when
newly starting in the business, struck one or two
seasons that'were not profitable, and consequently
gave up this work in disgust, declaring it a failure.
Many men, when they see others making money
in any line of business, will jump into the same
work, with the wrong idea that they are as well
qualified for the undertaking and are just as
capable of solving the problems as those who have
learned the business through years of experience.
Those who know the ups and downs through prac-
tice have reached the point where they can obtain
a handsome profit almost any season by sheep
feeding. Some years there is a large margin, and
others a smaller one, but, on the average, men
feeding sheep for market have made considerable
money, and some have acquired great wealth from
this source. However, the profit that can be de-
rived from the undertaking depends largely upon
the purchase price of the sheep, the prices of feed,
and last but not least, the kind of market. If feed-

10 (145)
146 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

ers are very high-priced in the fall one cannot ex-
pect a large margin over the purchase price, feed,
and labor, unless high prices for finished mutton
are realized.

In the Eastern and Middle States not as many
sheep and lambs are annually fed as in the West-
ern States. Michigan perhaps leads in the East,
while Colorado is foremost in the West. However,
smaller numbers of them are fed for market in
nearly every state. Since the writer cannot dis-
cuss the large feeding operations in the West from
personal experience, he will confine his discussion
of the subject to the home industry where sheep
are fed for market on a smaller scale. In many
sections of the country a considerable number of
men feed one or two carloads each winter. Oth-
ers may just be starting in, and it is to these that
the writer wishes to speak in particular.

AGE OF SHEEP TO BE FED.

It is generally admitted among feeders that
lambs bring more profit when put in the feed lot
than older sheep, for the simple reason that it re-
quires less pounds of feed to produce a pound of
gain in lambs than in yearlings or still older sheep.
The lamb in the feed lot is not only putting on
flesh, but is at the same time growing in size, while
the older sheep though spreading and developing
Feeding Sheep for Market. 147

more in width of body and also putting on flesh,
is actually not growing in size any more after it
reaches the age of two years. Wherever practi-
cable, it will pay the feeder to secure lambs for
feeding, unless, of course, he can get yearlings or
two-year-olds at a very low cost, which will enable
him to realize a good profit from his investment.
Fat lambs are in greater demand on the market
than older sheep, and are therefore generally
higher in price.

SELECTION OF FEEDERS.

In selecting feeders one ought to be very care-
ful to get sound, healthy sheep and not buy a lot
that is probably infested with internal parasites,
as stomach or tape worms, or with scab or foot rot.
If the feeder is not watchful he will cut his profit
down right at the beginning by losing some of the
sheep which were unsound when bought. He
should therefore examine their eyes and skin, as
has been explained in a previous chapter of this
work, in order to make sure that they do not have
parasites. Many feeders: prefer range sheep to
natives, since range sheep are generally free from
internal parasites. If they are only infested with
ticks or lice they may easily be freed from these
pests by dipping them, but it will be a more diffi-
cult task to cure them of skin diseases or internal
148 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

parasites. It is also unprofitable to meddle with
sheep that have old, broken mouths and are there-
fore unable to chew their feed properly and hence
must have all the grain ground for them. It has
further been learned that sheep or lambs that are
in pretty fair condition when they are placed in
the feed lot make better gains than those that are
in too thin a condition at the time. In a trial at
the Wisconsin Station, lambs accustomed to grain
from the time of birth were able to make a weekly
gain of 3.8 pounds per head for a period of twelve
weeks feeding. Other lambs, not receiving any
grain until they were put in the feed lot in the
fall, with the most judicious care and feeding only
gained 2.5 pounds per head per week for the same
length of time. The first lot made a net profit of
$1.40 per head, while the others made only $.80
per head.

In all cases a class of sheep should be obtained
that have good, wide body frames, that are broad
and low-down to the ground, and that have broad
heads. Pay no attention to the long-legged, nar-
row-bodied, long-necked, and slim-faced class, as
they require more feed to produce a pound of gain
in weight than the right class will, and are there-
fore less profitable to feed. Of course, it is well
understood that the feeder cannot always get ex-
actly what he is striving to secure, but he should
Feeding Sheep for Market. 149

not be satisfied to obtain a class that will not give
him the largest net returns from the feeding opera-
tion.

When purchased by a carload or more, some of
the sheep or lambs will be larger than the others.
The larger ones generally take advantage of the
smaller ones at the feed trough and push them
back, and in this way get more than their share
of the feed. To give them all an equal chance a
good plan is to group them in two or more lots,
each size by itself. They usually do much better
in smaller lots than when too many are bunched
together.

THE PRINCIPLES OF FEEDING.

Some feeders do not obtain as good results as
others, simply because they have not yet learned
the few underlying principles which, when care-
fully observed, lead to success.

1. Gentleness and patience.—A sheep is fright-
ened very easily. Therefore, the feeder in charge
must not be one of the coarse, rough men who will
make his way into the feed lot by kicking and
pounding the sheep that get in his way. Gentle
treatment counts for a great deal in this line of
work, since sheep make more and cheaper gains
when treated kindly. Many a time the writer has
had his cap or hat pulled off from his head when
150 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

stooping down to clean out feed troughs, but
nevertheless the lambs were not abused for so
doing. On the contrary the feeder rather enjoys
this playfulness, because he feels that the lambs
have full confidence in him and fear no harm.

The good feeder should also be patient. It often
happens that an inquisitive lamb will stand with
its front feet in the trough and perhaps soil it some-
what, just after it has been cleaned out nicely be-
fore feeding. The patient feeder in this case will
not run after the lamb and try to make it under-
stand that this act was wrong. He will reclean
the trough and say nothing. Sheep will always
well repay the kind treatment that is shown them.
The man who rushes into the feed lot without
warning the sheep of his approach by speaking to
them, so that they will not become frightened and
run for doors and windows to get away from him
as far as possible, is and will always be a poor
feeder until he begins to change his ways. Any
man who does not care for sheep should never be
allowed to feed them, as he will certainly not make
good.

2. Cleanliness.—At all times it is necessary to
practice cleanliness. Sheep do not require as much
feed as other classes of live stock, but this com-
paratively small amount must by all means be
clean, for sheep are more particular as to what
Feeding Sheep for Market. 151

they eat than most farm animals. It will never do
to try to make them eat grain that has been
scratched over by the chickens many times and is
soiled. Nor can they under ordinary circumstances
be forced to eat some of the commercial feeds, or
hay that has a bad odor. The feed troughs must,
furthermore, be thoroughly cleaned out before
each meal and must always be kept in a sweet
condition. Have you ever noticed that wherever
there are a few droppings of a sheep in the feed
trough sheep will eat all the clean grain around
this place, ut will not touch the soiled grain that is
on or near it? It will certainly pay any feeder to
practice cleanliness, as the sheep itself is a clean
animal.

3. Punctuality—By punctuality we mean in this
case that a certain time be scheduled for feeding
each day, and for each meal in particular. This
time should be fixed definitely right at the start.
Brother feeder, have you ever stopped to realize
the importance of punctuality in sheep feeding?
Have you ever considered how much better and
cheaper gains can be made in feeding when the
time set for each meal is strictly adhered to?

Visit a good feeder, get into deep conversation
with him on some important subject, and try to
make him forget the time for feeding his sheep.
You will notice him pulling out his watch every
“UISUODSTMA JO AZISTAATU;) OY}
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Feeding Sheep for Market. 153

little while to see whether the time for feeding has
come, and when the hour has arrived he will un-
doubtedly ask to be excused so that he may do his
feeding. He is aware of the fact that his sheep
are accustomed to getting their meals at a certain
fixed time, and that when the feeder fails to be on
hand the sheep begin to bleat and worry and won-
der what could have happened to their feeder.
The longer the delay after the regular feeding
hour, the more flesh they worry off, instead of
putting on. Remember that your profit will de-
pend a good deal on the value and importance
you place upon punctuality in feeding.

Another point of great value is that the feeding
should be done as quickly as possible. Grain, the
feed which is eaten up the most rapidly, is gener-
ally fed first. Roughage is fed last of all, in order
to give the sheep ample time to pick it over and
allow the feeder to get through so that he can per-
form other urgent work. It would certainly not
be very wise to give them their grain ration, which
is eaten up in a short time, and in the meantime
go away and forget all about giving them their next
ration. Such action would be absolutely unprofit-
able. Feed them their grain, if so planned, and
when this is cleaned up, the next ration, and so on
until all is given them that is to be fed at one meal.
After they have eaten their full ration allow them
154 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

to lie down and rest undisturbed until the next
meal time. This will give them plenty of time to
chew their cud and properly digest their meal. It
has been found at the Wisconsin Station that feed-
ing fattening lambs only twice a day is sufficient,
and is even more conducive to rapid growth than
feeding three times daily. As sheep are mostly
fattened in the winter time when the days are short
it is well to begin feeding about six o’clock A. M.
and again at four o’clock P. M., making it entirely
unnecessary to feed them at noon.

4, Judgment.—The person who does the sheep
feeding should be one who likes sheep. There is
no sense whatever in trying to have a man feed
sheep who dislikes them or who possesses no judg-
ment. The feeder’s ability and judgment are shown
in every case of success or failure. The careful
feeder watches all the members in the lot of sheep
closely, studies their appetites, and feeds them just
enough so as to prevent overfeeding at any one
meal. He begins lightly and gradually increases
their feed, for if they are overfed at one meal they
will often scour and may then lose as much in live
weight in three days as can be restored in the fol-
lowing two weeks. Scouring will also make the
wool filthy, thus greatly injuring the appearance
of the sheep and reducing the price of the wool.

The same person should always do the feeding.
If by accident an unfamiliar person who is not ac-
Feeding Sheep for Market. 155

quainted with the capacity of the sheep in his
charge and the proper allowance to be given them
is allowed to do the feeding at any time he is apt
to upset the whole lot. One feeder also may be
able to feed economically, while another may be
wasteful. For example, sheep make their best
gains in fairly cold weather when the temperature
is nearly down to zero. If they are then on full
feed they may be pushed along steadily. But if
now all at once warm weather sets in the well-
posted feeder will cut down on the grain ration,
because he knows that sheep, especially lambs,
cannot stand as much grain in warm weather as
in cold weather. On the other hand, the feeder
who is ignorant of this fact will feed the same
amount with the result that he gets them off feed,
and it is a difficult matter to have them regain
their appetite when once it is lost. Not much can
be accomplished when the same person does not
do the feeding each day, as the one is liable to
spoil what the other has accomplished. In all cases
feeding grain must be begun lightly in order to
avoid overfilling and scouring.

LITTLE EXERCISE FOR FATTENING SHEEP.

It has already been stated that too much exer-
cise cannot be given to pregnant ewes. Sheep
when being fattened for market do not, however,
156 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

need much exercise. They may be given a little
exercise now and then, but in general they gain
faster if not allowed to run about at all, but if
kept closely confined to their quarters.

 

 

 

 

 

: e ete RE PR ty 4
ee ah a Raha ~ le

iad ae capt on east
PLATE 47. Second prize pure-bred Shropshire yearling wether at

the International, 1907, bred by Arthur Broughton, Albany, Wis., and
fitted and shown by the University of Wisconsin.
Feeding Sheep for Market. 157

HAND-FEEDING OR SELF-FEEDERS.

Where a large number of sheep or lambs are fed
at any one place and good feeders of sheep are
scarce it is perhaps feasible to employ self-feeders,
for by the use of self-feeders a great deal of hand
labor is saved. Where smaller lots are being fed,
however, hand-feeding can be much more highly
recommended, since sheep are greedy, and when
they have free access to the grain they often eat
too much of it. In many instances a large number
of lambs have been lost on account of overloaded
stomachs caused by eating too much grain.

The writer at one time visited a large feeding
plant and counted as many as eleven dead lambs
one morning. When the man in charge was ques-
tioned as to the cause of death, his reply was that
the self-feeders had killed them by allowing them
to eat too much grain. The writer was informed
that out of the two thousand lambs in the feed lot
some were lost every day through the use of self-
feeders. The danger of eating too much grain is
prevented when hand-feeding is practiced. Where
large numbers are fed, and labor is high, however,
the large operator cannot be blamed for using self-
feeders.

SHELTER.

Whenever possible, shelter should be provided

for the fattening sheep. Yet at many western feed-
158 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

ing yards no shelter whatever is given the sheep.
But when sheep are not sheltered their fleeces at
times become soaking wet from rains or snows,
and the result is lung trouble and pneumonia.
They do not, however, need a warm or very costly
place. All that is necessary is a simple roof over
them to keep them dry. Do not allow feeding
sheep or any others to wade or sleep in a yard
where the mud is perhaps knee deep. Any kind
of sheep like to have it dry underneath them, and
comfortable dry quarters help them materially to
put on flesh.
GRAIN FOR FATTENING.

Many large feeding operators have used wheat
screenings chiefly as the grain ration. The writer
is unable to say anything relative to the feeding
value of wheat screenings, as they have never been
used at this Station for the reason that they con-
tain large amounts of weed seeds, which will get
into the manure in spite of the greatest care and
be brought into the fields, there causing havoc. The
best and cheapest returns in different trials con-
ducted at this Station have been obtained by feed-
ing shelled corn, provided corn is available at a
normal price. Dried beet pulp also has given very
satisfactory results, and stands almost equal to
corn in feeding value for sheep, besides being
much cheaper. Oats, when used as the sole grain,
Feeding Sheep for Market. 159

have never given much profit in fattening sheep
or lambs. In every instance the cost price of the
different grains must be considered as well as their
actual feeding value.

As already stated, nice corn stands about first in
rank in fattening sheep. Sheep will soon get tired
of pure corn feeding, however, and the best feed-
ers do not therefore find it an easy matter to feed
it alone for any great length of time, and have the
sheep progress as they should. For this reason it
is advisable to mix a little oats and bran with the
corn, in order to have a more balanced ration.
Where the grain for fattening sheep is grown on
the farm no better ration can be recommended
than a mixture of four parts of shelled corn, one
part of oats, and one part of bran. Toward the
last three or four weeks before marketing, a little
oilmeal may be added to finish them off. Barley
is likewise of great value for this purpose.

Throughout the Western range district, where
corn is not raised in large quantities, barley is ex-
tensively used for fattening sheep and lambs.
Trials conducted at the Montana and South Dakota
Experiment Stations show that when fed as the
only grain allowance to fattening range lambs
whole barley was only slightly less valuable than
corn.
160 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

Wheat should not be fed to fattening sheep ex-
cept when off grade or extremely low in price, as
it tends to produce growth rather than fat. Trials
at the South Dakota Station show that durum or
macaroni wheat has about the same value as bread
wheat.

Like wheat, oats tend to produce growth, and
therefore it is not best to use them as the sole grain
for fattening. As already stated a little oats will
help to balance up corn or barley.

Owing to the greatly increased production of
emmer, or speltz, in the Western States, this grain
has gained some importance as a feed for fatten-
ing sheep and lambs. Trials at the South Dakota
Station showed that with prairie or brome hay
emmer was much less valuable than corn. In a
trial at the Colorado Station, however, emmer
made unusually economical gains when fed with
good alfalfa hay.

Feeds which are rich in crude protein, such as
linseed meal, cotton-seed meal, field peas, and soy-
beans, may sometimes be profitably mixed with
corn or other grains for fattening lambs or sheep.
Care must be used in feeding these heavy rich
feeds.

ROUGHAGES FOR FATTENING.

The legume hays furnish the best roughages for
fattening sheep. In the East flockowners may raise
Feeding Sheep for Market. 161

clover or alfalfa, those in the South cowpeas and
perhaps alfalfa, and those in the West alfalfa. In
Colorado, where in 1907 two million lambs and
sheep were fed, the standard ration is alfalfa hay
and corn, these feeds forming about ninety-five per
cent of all the feed used.

Good pea straw, and also bean straw, are relished
by sheep. Of recent years a few sheep have been
successfully fattened on pea-cannery refuse, to-
gether with grain. In some sections of the West,
especially in the San Luis Valley, Colorado, many
lambs and sheep are grazed on field peas. The
sheep are turned on the peas as soon as they ma-
ture, and without other feed are fattened in from
70 to 120 days.

As before stated, timothy or marsh hay should
never be offered to sheep if other roughage can be
secured. Good, bright, fine oat straw is preferable
to either of these roughages.

SUCCULENT FEEDS.

Succulent feeds, such as roots and corn silage,
are valuable in feeding sheep for market. In the
writer’s experience roots not only keep the digest-
ive organs of sheep in good condition but also make
considerable gain and increase the yolk in the wool
to quite an extent. Not much additional gain can

be expected from feeding corn silage to lambs,
11
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“606T “TRUONeUIO}JUT oY) VE oz say UOAL YOIYAY SIOYJOM Burpawod ostysdoiyS opeis Jo uoq ‘Bp aALvIg

 

 

 

 
Feeding Sheep for Market. 163

but this feed also is valuable in keeping the digest-
ive organs in good condition.

Near beet sugar factories wet beet pulp has
proved to be satisfactory for fattening lambs when
fed with such feeds as alfalfa hay and corn.

RAPE FEEDING PREVIOUS TO FATTENING.

From trials carried on at this Station it has been
found that very cheap gains have been made by
feeding rape previous to placing the sheep in the
feed lot. If a piece of rape is sown not later than
July 1 it will come in handy to turn the sheep onto
before they are placed in the feed lot. In an ex-
periment conducted at this Station lambs pastured
on rape, but fed no grain, made as large gains as
others on good grass pasture and fed one pound
of grain daily but no rape. In other words one
pound of grain was saved by each lamb daily, and
the Jambs on rape made just as much gain as the
other lambs that received one pound of grain. It
was further learned when finishing both lots off
on dry feed that the lambs which had received
rape previously did considerably better than the
other lot not receiving rape before being put into
the feed lot. The writer must say that he has al-
ways placed great faith in rape as a cheap and
valuable feed for sheep.
164 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.
BEST TIME TO MARKET.

Lambs are generally fed from sixty to ninety
days before marketing, depending upon the condi-
tion they are in when put into the feed lot. The
prices on the market must also be taken into con-
sideration. If lambs are to be marketed early in
the season the feeding should be commenced
early, so that they may be ready just about the
time when the rush to market in the fall is over.
There are times when there is a notable scarcity
on the market, one of which is between the mar-
keting of the grass-fed and the winter-fed lot,
from about December 10 to January 10. At this
time lambs usually sell for high prices, since the
grass lambs have all come to market and most of
those put in the feed lot are not ready for market.
By having the lambs ready for market at this time
strong competition may be avoided. If a late mar-
ket is decided upon the feeding may be started
late, so as to get the lambs on the market when
most feeding yards are exhausted, namely in the
latter part of March and April. Although a high-
priced market cannot be guaranteed for these
times every year, still, on the average, compara-
tively high prices are paid at this period of the
year. Always try to bring your stuff to market
when the other fellow is not there, so as to avoid
competition.
Feeding Sheep for Market. 165

Feeders often make a mistake in marketing
their lambs before they are fat. Sheep or lambs
that are not in a fat condition when brought to the
market, or so-called “half-fed” stuff, are often sold
at a sacrifice. Butchers are willing to pay high
prices for prime animals, but are just as unwilling
to pay much for stuff only half fat. This class of
sheep suffers from depression in price at nearly
all times of the year.

Large, heavy ewes are invariably considered a
drug on the market, while lambs weighing from
eighty to ninety pounds and in prime condition are
readily sold at good prices. The eighty-five pound
lamb is in greater demand on the market than the
one hundred pound lamb. Packers claim that the
one hundred pound lamb is not as profitable to
them as what is termed the “handy weight” lamb.

In a lot of fattening lambs some will always
thrive better and put on flesh more rapidly than
others. Therefore, when some of them have been
properly fattened and prices are right, these
should be selected and shipped and the thinner
ones should be retained and fed until they also
have become fat.

Before marketing lambs clip all loose locks of
wool off from their sides and necks, caused by
rubbing against each other on the feed troughs or
crowding each other at meal time. Also tag them
166 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

nicely around the tail. When this is done at least
ten per cent will be added to their selling price.
Expert buyers do not judge by looks alone, and
they thoroughly handle the sheep before bidding
on them. Yet the clean, broad, and square appear-
ance of a lamb at its rear adds greatly to the sell-
ing price. Never forget that a good looking bunch
of lambs or sheep on the market will always at-
tract the eye of the buyer.

HOW TO FEED BEFORE SHIPPING.

It is a very foolish practice to fill lambs up on
feed to their utmost capacity before loading them
for market. Some feeders believe that they will
gain by stuffing the lambs before loading, but this
is not the case. When they are filled up in such
manner, many will begin to scour before reaching
the market, and will have a very disagreeable and
filthy appearance when they arrive. Such lambs
will also shrink more in weight than those fed
only their regular ration, or even less. Even with
proper feeding before loading the shaking they get
in transit in freight cars, and the puffing and the
noise of the engine,—quite a change of conditions
from the quiet home from whence they have come,
—is sufficient to upset their stomachs, and if they
are overloaded with feed beforehand matters are
much worse. They will look cleaner, brighter, and
fresher when coming out of the car if fed only on
Feeding Sheep for Market. 167

dry feed before being loaded, and not even a full
meal at that. When fed lightly they will drink
water upon their arrival at the stock yards and
will look just about as good as they did at home,
and the shrinkage will be comparatively small.

Another mistake that is very often made is
crowding too many lambs into one car. What is
the result? First, it is hard on the animals, and
second, it means another loss to the shipper. When
there is not sufficient standing room in the car
and the lambs are packed together like sardines,
the larger and stronger lambs will free themselves
by jumping on top of the others, but what becomes
of those underneath? They will patiently bear
the load as long as possible. Their strength, how-
ever, gives away before they reach their destina-
tion, and they sink to the floor and_ suffocate.
More than once the writer has seen stock cars
opened at stock yards in which from three to seven
lambs were found dead, due to overcrowding in
the car. Is there any profit in this? Is it not cruel
to subject poor, innocent lambs to such a terrible
death? No intelligent feeder or shipper will allow
himself to be guilty of such actions.

WINTER LAMBS.

Where the chief object is to raise lambs for mar-
ket, there is in the writer’s opinion no way to make
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two grade Shropshire wether lambs showing the result
of the use of a good and an inferior sire.
Feeding Sheep for Market. 169

money faster than by raising winter, or so-called
“hot-house” lambs. The winter lamb is born in
the fall in the months of October and November,
while lambs are usually born in the spring. With
proper care these lambs can be gotten ready for
market during the winter, from Christmas to
Easter, at a time when young, juicy lamb is a
scarcity, and such meat will bring high prices in
the markets of the large cities.

In order to raise winter lambs we must have
ewes that can be bred from about the middle of
March till the first of July. Nearly all breeds of
sheep take the ram in the fall and lamb in the
spring, and it is rarely possible to make them re-
verse the order of nature.

Various methods have been advocated to get any
breed of ewes to breed in the spring and summer.
Some claimed that when ewes were taken in the
spring or summer and kept in a cold place, such
as an ice-house, for about a week they would
breed. Another method advocated was, after feed-
ing the ewes in the morning, to drive them all day
long on a shady road. When this had been re-
peated each day for a week it was claimed the ewes
would surely breed. Still another method was to
feed the ewes very highly, giving them all they
would eat of the richest grain, besides hay or other
feeds. At the end of a week they were to be fed
170 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

on a very scant ration, such as oat straw, with lit-
tle or nothing else. After these two weeks, one of
high living and the other of almost starvation, they
were again fed an abundance of the richest feeds

 

 

 

 

Prare 50. Two grade Dorset ewes with their four winter lambs at
the University of Wisconsin.

and were supposed to breed immediately. All of
these artificial methods have been tried by the
writer, but none of them proved to be at all suc-
cessful, which emphasizes the difficulty of work-
ing against nature. However, the ewes of one breed
of sheep, the Dorset Horn, naturally breed in the
Feeding Sheep for Market. 171

spring or early summer. This breed of sheep is
therefore best adapted to the raising of winter
lambs.

There is another breed of sheep, the Tunis, which
it is claimed will breed in the spring like the Dor-
sets. However, the writer has had no experience
with Tunis sheep and is therefore unable to make
any statement concerning their merits in this re-
spect.

While it has been said that Dorset ewes will
breed in the spring and summer, it can also be
said that some of them will breed twice in one
year and thus drop two crops of lambs. At this
Station some years ago a Dorset ram was crossed
on grade Shropshire ewes, and the majority of the
ewes from this first cross bred like pure-bred Dor-
sets in the early spring and again in the fall. In the
accompanying illustration are shown two of these
grade Dorset ewes and their lambs. The writer
especially remembers one of these grade Dorset
ewes which for two years in succession bred twice
a year, dropped two lambs each time, and raised
them all.

CARE, OF DORSET EWES.

Dorset ewes before they are bred in the spring
should be in good flesh and should be sheared as
early as possible in the season. When the desired
breeding time approaches a good, strong, vigorous
172 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

ram should be turned with the flock and left with
them all day and night. While this is perhaps con-
trary to what has been previously recommended,
in this case it will help to get the ewes to breed
more quickly, as the ram when left with the flock
will tease the ewes.

If a Dorset flock of ewes is once established a
ram of one of the other mutton breeds may be
used. Of course, the ewe lambs could not then be
kept for further winter lamb breeding, as they
would tend to lose Dorset characteristics. What-
ever breed the ram is, he should be a vigorous fel-
low and in thrifty condition.

In the summer months after the ewes have been
bred they do not need any special care so long as
they have plenty of good pasture. In the fall, how-
ever, when lambing time approaches and pastures
usually get scant, the ewes should receive a little
grain in order to insure a heavy milk flow. A
warm place must be provided for these ewes to
lamb in, since young lambs grow and thrive much
better in general in a warm place than they do in
a cold one. When a lamb lies down, curls up into
a ball, and shivers from the cold it will not grow
well. On the other hand, when it is nice and- warm
in their quarters and the lambs feel comfortable,
get up and stretch themselves, play and jump, then
they will thrive and do well.
Feeding Sheep for Market. 173

The writer has learned during many years of ex-
perience with this breed of sheep, that compared
with other breeds, the Dorsets are extremely heavy
milkers. This may be due to the fact that a large
flow of milk is necessary to feed the two or three
lambs a Dorset ewe will usually have. As these
ewes are such good mothers they need extra good
feeding after lambing, especially if they are to
have two crops of lambs in a year.

FEEDING THE WINTER LAMBS.

When the young lambs begin to eat, a good grain
ration must be given them, such as is elsewhere
mentioned in this book. Good alfalfa or second
crop clover hay is also essential. Furthermore, if
this line of work is to be carried on, roots, and
especially cabbage, should be grown and stored
so they may be fed to the mothers to increase their
flow of milk, and to the lambs to make them grow
as fast as possible. The writer has found that
these young lambs relish cabbage, chopped up
finely, more than any other feed he knows of. The
lambs should receive their feed in a lamb creep,
such as has been advocated for other lambs. When
kept in good warm quarters, fed properly, and fur-
nished by their mothers with an abundance of
milk, the lambs can be made to gain five or six
pounds per week. The writer has raised winter
174 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

lambs which when fifty days old weighed fifty-five
pounds, and others which weighed sixty-three
pounds when sixty days old.

 

 

 

 

 

Prarr 51. A sheep properly crated for shipment. Note the bag at
the front of the erate which contains the necessary feed for a long journey.

The desired weight for this class of lambs is from
forty-five to sixty pounds, and they should sell for
from fifteen to twenty cents per pound, live weight.
Of course, the selling price will depend on the fat-
ness and plumpness of the lamb, and the market.
Feeding Sheep for Market. 175

In general such lambs will sell for a higher price
in the Eastern markets than in the markets of the
Middle-West. Quite a number of lambs raised at
this Station have been sold on the Chicago market
for from $10.00 to $13.00 per head at the age of
sixty days or under. As Dorset ewes generally
have twins, or even triplets, it can be seen that
there is a great profit in this line of sheep hus-
bandry. In the cases where ewes breed twice a
year the profit is correspondingly larger. The
writer wishes to emphasize the fact that where
ewes raise two crops of lambs each year they must
be well fed at all times, in order to uphold their
vitality under the severe strain. Such ewes have
been known to take the ram again when their suck-
ling lambs were only three weeks old.

It has been found to be more profitable to dress
the lambs before sending them to market than to
ship them alive, for such young chaps shrink heav-
ily in transit. Of course, when dressed at home.
some such market as a hotel, a restaurant, or a
meat market must be secured in advance and
the dressed lambs shipped direct to that place.
The lambs may either be fully dressed or rough
dressed, that is, with the skin on the carcass, ac-
cording to the requirements of the consumer.
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‘SOGL ‘JBUOTFBUIO,UY OY} 7e SQUIB] JOYJOM oIIysdorys opeis jo ued ozud Js “TE ALV 1

 

 

 

 

 

 
CHAPTER IX.
FITTING SHEEP FOR THE SHOW RING.

While fitting and showing is pursued by com-
paratively few of the thousands of flockmasters, it
may be helpful to outline briefly the principal de-
tails of the business for the benefit of the man who
is thinking of taking up show fitting work. A num-
ber of shepherds have become famous and have
gained a national reputation for themselves and
their employers in the show ring. Many of these
experts are well along in years now, and others
must be trained in this work to take the place of
the older men who will retire. It is to assist those
who are beginners in fitting show sheep that the
writer takes up the subject. But fitting show sheep
can scarcely be learned from books to the point
of becoming an expert, because no writer is able
to put down all the small details which he follows
and which have to be observed to be successful in
the show ring. Therefore, after reading all one
can find about fitting show sheep, the beginner
should not expect to be as successful at the start
as the man with many years of experience.

Some of the main obstacles for beginners may
be avoided by learning from the experience of

12 (177)
178 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

older show fitters. Not every one who started in
this work can today look back with pride at his
record. Many tried to fit and show once or twice,
but today they are no longer in the race for they
dropped out simply because they were not success-
ful at the start. It seems as if only a small num-
ber of men naturally possess the necessary liking
for sheep, the personal qualifications, and the un-
bounded persistency and self-sacrifice necessary
to make a success of this work. For some men it
is too tiresome a job, others have not enough pa-
tience to feed so carefully as is required to obtain
the best results. Others find it too troublesome to
be down on their knees a good deal of their time
molding out a sheep with the shears to a perfect
form.

“This work of fitting prize winners may be
classed among the fine arts,” said Prof. W. A.
Henry at one time. This is indeed very true, and
those who have practiced this line of work for
years fully agree with this statement. Yet while
there are many happy hours in the showman’s life
there are apt to be a great many more that are
dark and gloomy. The sweet as well as the bitter
medicine must be swallowed. No one can show
more plainly whether he really is a man or not
than when he meets with defeat in the show ring.
Grumbling and disorderly conduct towards the
Fitting Sheep for the Show Ring. 179

judge or fellow exhibitors have never been of any
benefit to the showman. If the exhibitor takes his
lessons in the proper spirit he can gain knowledge

 

 

 

 

 

Puate 53. Champion pure-bred Southdown yearling wether at the
International, 1912. This wether was also the champion wether in the
dressed carcass class. Shown by the University of Wisconsin.

faster in the show ring than anywhere else. Some
exhibitors, however, always look at things in the
wrong light and therefore do not learn the valuable
lessons which may be learned in the show ring.
180 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

If beginners in fitting and showing sheep are ear-
nest students in their undertaking, are reasonable,
and are able to see things in the right light they
can in time become just as successful as the older
men who are securing the prizes at the present
time.

It is not the writer’s intention to discourage any-
one from entering the field, by pointing out some
of the dark clouds. On the contrary he wishes to
urge all those who possess good judgment, who
like the work, who are not afraid to put in extra
hours, who have energy to do better work than
others have done, and who are honest and faithful,
to come forward and demonstrate their ability as
loyal showmen. The beginner will not find the
shepherds a mournful lot of fellows, but on the
contrary, if he wishes to have a good time at shows
and fairs, he should seek the company of the other
shepherds after their working hours are over and
listen to their stories and jokes. He will find them,
as a rule, the happiest lot of fellows on the fair
grounds.

CLASSES OF SHOW SHEEP.

When we speak of fitting sheep for shows we
have in mind two distinct classes, namely the
breeding sheep that are to be shown in the breed-
ing classes, and the fat sheep that are to be shown
Fitting Sheep for the Show Ring. 181

in the fat classes. There is quite a difference in the
fitting and preparation of these: two separate
classes of sheep. The first class can be fitted in a
much shorter time than the fat class, and the feeds
for them are of a little different nature from those
for the fat class.

SELECTION FOR THE BREEDING CLASS.

One of the chief factors in fitting sheep for breed-
ing classes in the show ring is to be familiar with
the up-to-date type and conformation of the breed
or breeds to be fitted. No sheep, no matter how
well it may be fitted, will be a winner if it does not
possess the correct type, combined with the proper
conformation and color. For instance a Shrop-
shire ram that has stubs of horns should not win
a prize, no matter how good an individual he may
be in all other respects, for this is contrary to the
standard of pure-bred Shropshires. Again a ram
with only one testicle should not be fitted, for he
will not win a prize if the judge is capable of dis-
covering the lack. A sheep of any breed that is
either undersized or too large for its particular
breed also does not receive much consideration in
the show ring. Neither does a sheep that has not
the right color, or has a poor conformation, or has
crooked legs, or is in too thin a condition, or on
the contrary is too fat, get any recognition by the
182 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

judge. Only the best ones in the flock should be
selected. These should be true to type, of the
right size and conformation, with the desirable
kind of fleece and skin, with the four legs prop-
erly set under them, and with all the style and
carriage possible. It never pays to fit sheep for
the show ring that are not built right, or as is often
said, born right, as the flesh and fitting alone will
not bring the sheep to the front in the ring if they
are lacking in these other respects. The competi-
tion is getting stronger year by year, and as a re-
sult greater care must be exercised each year in
the selection and fitting of sheep for the show
ring.

SHEARING SHEEP FOR THE BREEDING CLASSES.

It is common among exhibitors in the breeding
classes to shear their sheep quite early in the
spring, for in the show ring a long fleece is desir-
able on breeding sheep. For this reason, this class
of sheep may be shorn as early as April 1, and a
good length, growth, and staple of wool can then
be had on the sheep at fair time. Some men shear
even earlier than April 1, but the writer is of the
opinion that sheep that are shorn too early have
not as much brightness and lustre in their fleeces
as those that are shorn at about the time stated.
Moreover, in the hot summer weather sheep with
Fitting Sheep for the Show Ring. 183

too long fleeces do not do nearly as well as those
that have shorter fleeces.

The old fashion of “stubble” shearing, which
means taking only part of the wool off the sheep,
should not be reverted to at all, because all expe-
rienced shepherds have found this to be a bad
practice. Do not shear too early if a nice, thrifty-
looking fleece is expected on a show sheep. The
fine wool breeders are in the habit of shearing
their Merinos in late fall and early winter. Al-
though this breed of sheep does not show the effect
of too early shearing quite as much as the middle
and long wools do, nevertheless we occasionally
meet some flocks of Merinos in the show ring
whose fleeces are not in the proper “bloom,” due
to too early shearing.

PROPER TIME TO START FITTING.

The time to start fitting sheep intended for
breeding classes depends upon the time they are
to be shown. Two months to ten weeks brings
sheep into good shape for these classes. However,
the fitter must use his own judgment to know
when they are in best condition to suit the judge.
In other words, he must be a good judge of sheep
himself. In the case of older sheep this may easily
be decided by careful examination as to the condi-
tion the sheep are in. Lambs need fitting from the
time of their birth.
184 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.
FEED FOR SHOW LAMBS.

In order to keep lambs growing constantly they
must always be given an abundance of feed. As
soon as they are able to eat grain, they should re-
ceive it. They can also be given roots, good clover
hay, and some cabbage or turnips. Rape should
be sown early to feed to them at the time when
pastures are getting short in the middle of sum-
mer. As long as the weather is cool the lambs do
well on a grain ration consisting of bran, oats, a
little cornmeal, and some oilmeal. However, when
the weather begins to get hot too much corn must
not be fed, for corn produces heat and makes
lambs founder very easily. In the hot weather
their ration should consist mostly of green feed.
Some cracked field peas are very beneficial for
fitting show sheep and lambs, as they produce a
firm and solid flesh. In all cases lambs are much
harder to fit than older sheep, as they are more
tender and cannot withstand heavy feeding like
older ones.

FEED FOR OLDER SHEEP.

The feed for older sheep is practically the same
as for lambs, with the one exception that they can
be fed more grain if it should be needed, for there
is less danger of foundering them. In the hot
weather it is a good plan to feed show sheep in a
Fitting Sheep for the Show Ring. 185

cool, airy barn during the day time and turn them
out on good pasture during the night. This will
give them the necessary exercise, which is abso-
lutely indispensable in keeping them firm and in
producing the best handling qualities. Overfeed-
ing and crowding too rapidly should in all cases
be avoided. Some men are of the opinion that the
more they feed the sheep, the better the sheep
will do, but this is quite often a mistake. Feeding
has its limit, and if fitted so highly that they be-
come soft, or “overdone,” sheep will not win in the
ring.

It is a pity to see good rams and ewes that are
fed so far beyond the limit that they are simply
ruined and are worthless for breeding purposes.
Such sheep could not even win in the fat classes,
as butchers object to a lot of surplus fat on sheep
on the block. They should be in nice flesh, but not
overfat. The writer himself has been forced more
than once to turn down sheep in the ring for this
very reason. We often see sheep that are so “blub-
bery” and overdone that they are unable to stand
up long enough in the ring for the judge to pass
his decision upon the class in which they are
shown. Much improvement must be made in this
respect, and showmen must familiarize themselves
better with what is called “just in bloom.” This
condition of bloom is sought by all good judges
186 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

and should count more for the winning animals
than it has in the past.

TRIMMING SHOW SHEEP.

Some writers and farmers have recently taken
up arms against sheep trimming. It remains an
open question why these men have taken such a
step. Has not the shepherd the same right to fix
up his stock to make it look best in the show ring
as the cattleman, the horseman, and the exhibitor
of hogs? Trimming sheep was first put into prac-
tice in England. American importers saw the
work done in that country and soon followed the
example. Nowadays many of the shepherds in
this country are men born in England where they
have learned this work from their fathers and later
have come to America and practice it here.

There is nothing wrong init. It seems as if only
those men who cannot trim their sheep are the
ones who protest against this practice. If some
one should undertake to stop sheep trimming in
England he would be ridiculed, since the English,
as a rule, excel in this kind of work and take great
pride in bringing a sheep before the judge that is
not only well fed, but also carries its best fitted
suit of clothes on its body. It does not make much
difference to a good judge how well a sheep may
be trimmed, as he understands the proper hand-
Fitting Sheep for the Show Ring. 187

ling of them to find all deficiencies, but it would
of course mislead a less experienced man and he
ought not to undertake to judge sheep at fairs at
all. Trimming sheep is done simply to have them
look better when on exhibition, just as men and
women wear their best clothes when going to a
party.

Trimming sheep should begin just as soon as the
wool has grown to such a length that it may be
worked upon with the hand shears. The old hand
shears, well sharpened and handled by a man who
understands his work, will do the task satisfac-
torily. Two or three trimmings will put the sheep
in fine shape. For this purpose, we need a pail
of water, a coarse stubble brush to roughen up the
wool, and a finer brush with which the wool is
wet and brought to the surface. A wet woolen
rag is often useful in sponging off the wool to make
it fluffy and to free it from dirt which dulls the
shears. A halter is also required with which to
tie the sheep to a post or fence. Sheep will nat-
urally stand more quietly than lambs. In trim-
ming the animal begin on the top of its shoulder,
working backward to the hips and tail. Try to get
the back straight. Now the rear end must be
trimmed to correspond with the back, and next the
left side from the shoulder back to the thigh. The
right side comes then, starting from the thigh for-
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Piate 54. Pure-bred Cheviot yearling wether
at the University of Wisconsin; (a) in his
rough coat; (b) after his first trimming; (c)
as he won first prize and championship at the
International, 1910.
Fitting Sheep for the Show Ring. 189

ward. If the operator can use the shears with his
left hand he can start on the shoulder and work
backward, the same as on the left side. The breast
is trimmed next to make the correct lines on that
part. Now the left side of the neck is trimmed
and then the right side, and finally the neck and
head are finished. If a sheep does not have a
straight underline some wool may be taken off
from the belly.

The first set of illustrations shows a Cheviot year-
ling wether, first, in his natural rough fleece, sec-
ond, after the first trimming, and third, when he
won first prize and championship at the Interna-
tional in 1910. In the second set are given three
similar pictures of an Oxford yearling wether
which likewise won first prize and championship
at the International in 1910.

To do this work well requires considerable time
and a great deal of patience. A person with a
sharp eye and a good model in his mind, will make
the best trimmer. A systematic way as outlined
in the foregoing should be followed in order to
perform the work in the best manner. Some peo-
ple will clip off a little wool at one place and then
jump to another place, so that they can never see
clearly how much of the work is done and what
remains to be done.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pirate 55. Pure-bred Oxford yearling wether,
bred by R. J. Stone, Illinois, and fitted and shown
by the University of Wisconsin; (a) in his rough
coat: (b) after his first trimming; (c) as he won
first prize and championship at the International,
1910.
Fitting Sheep for the Show Ring. 191

In the case of Shropshires the covering of wool
on their faces and legs counts for a great deal in
the show ring. As this wool often becomes clotted
together, in fitting the animals it may be necessary
to wash it well with warm water, using a woolen
rag. Often some sweet oil is used to soften the
clotted wool up thoroughly so that it may be
combed out with an iron comb. When the wool is
then dry it will be fluffy and stand out to the best
advantage.

If a show sheep should scour and the wool at
its rear become filthy, this filthy wool should not
be clipped off with the shears but must be washed
out by means of a rag, warm water, and soap.
When these locks are clipped off with the shears
it gives the sheep a hollow appearance at its twist,
while its twist should look full and plump.

A HELP IN SHEEP TRIMMING.

Trimming sheep in hot weather often becomes
a difficult task on account of the many flies which
annoy the sheep by biting the parts where no wool
is growing, such as the face, ears, and legs. The
sheep in trying to fight flies shakes its head and
stamps its feet constantly, thereby checking the
speed of the trimmer, as well as leading him to
make false clips or to cut too deeply into the fleece
at some places. This trouble can easily be reme-
192 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

died by using a strong solution of any of the coal
tar dips, which can be applied to the parts of the
sheep which are free from wool, as the ears, face,
and legs, with a tin spray pump or by means of a
brush. This method relieves the sheep of the an-
noyance from flies and thus furthers the speed of
the trimmer. After being trimmed the sheep
should not be allowed to rub itself on sharp cor-
ners, posts, nails, or other rough objects.

COLORING SHEEP.

For various reasons show sheep are colored red,
yellow, or sometimes brown. The custom of color-
ing, like trimming, has been introduced into Amer-
ica from England. These various colors on sheep
have been the cause of quite a sensation at fairs,
and have led men and women to ask whether
breeds of sheep naturally grow red, yellow, and
brown wool. The writer is decidedly not in favor
of the practice. He has never shown a sheep that
was colored and never will, because he believes
that a sheep with its natural color of wool nicely
trimmed looks far better than an animal with a
colored fleece.

BLANKETING.

After the sheep have gone through the trimming
process and their fleeces look as smooth as a
planed board, it is well to cover them with blan-
Fitting Wethers for Shows. 193

kets before starting out to the fairs. This will keep
the fleeces in good shape, will prevent them from
getting roughened up in transit, and will further-
more to a certain extent stop the fingering and
spoiling of the appearances of the fleeces by peo-
ple who thoughtlessly handle the sheep. Blan-
kets, if not adjusted to fit the sheep smoothly,
often disfigure it by cutting into the wool at one
place or another, especially around the neck of
the sheep.

TRAINING SHEEP FOR THE SHOW.

While trimming is being done it is a good idea
to have the sheep practice standing right or posing
for the judge when in the ring. Many sheep have
been found to act very wild and to stand in queer
positions in the ring when the judge is to pass on
them. On account of their unwieldy conduct and
unnatural standing position some prizes have been
lost to the owner. If properly handled and given
frequent lessons on correct standing they soon
learn what is expected of them, and they will not
then disappoint their master in the ring at a mo-
ment when all little details may bring success or
take away prize money from him. Sheep may be
trained to follow their master like a dog. Of
course, the master must be the one to accomplish
these results. As said before, the rough, coarse,

13
194 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

and brutal fellow will never get a sheep to do any-
thing for him, as it remembers only too well the
kind of treatment it has received.

SHELTER FOR SHOW SHEEP.

When fitting has begun great care must be taken
that the show sheep do not get wet. If a clean
fleece is desired, the sheep should be washed thor-
oughly at the time when fitting begins. From then
on by no means should they be allowed to become
wet. During the fitting period the yolk distributes
itself nicely throughout the fleece, and if the sheep
is exposed to a heavy rain the yolk will be washed
out, which destroys the lustre and bright, healthy
appearance. When the fleece has once been
spoiled somewhat, especially when it has already
been trimmed once or twice, it can never be made
right again. While it has been stated that sheep
should be turned out on pasture nights to get lots
of exercise, it should be borne in mind that we do
not mean on nights when rain is expected or pre-
dicted. The writer recalls many a night when he
turned out his show sheep, not expecting that it
would rain before the next morning. A heavy
thunder shower would come up after midnight
and wake him out of his sleep. As quickly as pos-
sible he would then run to the place where the
sheep were kept and get them under roof before
Fitting Sheep for the Show Ring. 195

they got wet, although he himself was perhaps wet
to the skin on returning home. This, however,
made no difference to him for he rejoiced if he
succeeded in keeping his show sheep dry. This,
fellow sheepmen, is one of the numerous self-
sacrifices mentioned before.

TRIMMING THE FEET OF SHOW SHEEP.

It has been advised in this work that sheep
should have their feet trimmed and looked after
at least twice a year, in spring and fall, but sheep
being fitted for shows need to have their feet
trimmed much more frequently. These sheep are
more or less confined and do not wear down their
hoofs as much as sheep that are constantly out
of doors in the summer months. Furthermore,
from observation it seems that when a sheep is
fed well and is putting on flesh its hoofs grow in
proportion to the amount of flesh put on its body.
Therefore, to keep them straight on their feet the
wise shepherd examines them once every month
and removes all surplus hoof.

REDUCING SHOW SHEEP AFTER FAIRS.

When sheep have been once highly fitted and
shown they cannot be kept in that condition, but
have to be reduced in flesh. For instance, a win-
ning yearling will not be a winner the following
196 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

year as a two-year-old, unless some of the old flesh
has been taken off and new flesh substituted in its
place. The old flesh left on the sheep becomes
soft and stale, and the skin gets pale and will not
have the desired “bloom.”

This work of reducing flesh has to be done just
as carefully as putting on flesh. The writer knows
of a first prize winning sheep that was sold to a
man who did not know how to reduce it. In spite
of the fact that he was warned to be careful and
not let it down in condition too fast, he killed the
sheep in less than one month by reducing the flesh
too quickly through cutting down the feed. The
reduction in feed, especially grain, must be made
very gradually, so that the sheep do not experi-
ence a great drop in the amount of feed at any
time. Remember that lots of exercise is necessary
to bring show sheep back into natural condition,
just as much as it was in fitting them for the ring.
Indeed, exercise is one of the most important fac-
tors in letting them down in condition.
CHAPTER X.
FITTING WETHERS FOR SHOWS.

The work of so fitting and preparing wethers
for fat stock shows that they will win on the hoof
as well as on the block may be considerd the most
difficult task of all show fitting. In the breeding
classes the sheep are only passed upon when alive,
while in the fat classes they are first judged alive
and are then sent to the slaughter house where the
expert butcher and cutter determines the final
merit of the carcasses. The material contained in
this book is not based upon reading agricultural
papers and it is not taken from books or the ex-
perience of others, but is based upon the practical
experience and knowledge gained by the author
in fitting many wethers which have won first prizes,
championships and grand championships on the
hoof, as well as on the block.

A great many of the show sheep in the breeding
classes at state fairs and other large shows are im-
ported from England, where they have received
part or all of their fitting from the English shep-
herds before coming to this country. It is an easy
matter for the Americans to keep them in the trim
to which the English have brought them. For-

(197)
 

 

 

 

 

Prare 56. Champion grade Shropshire yearling wether at the Inter-
national, 1906, shown by the University of Wisconsin.
Fitting Wethers for Shows. 199

merly, only once in a while were a few fat wethers
imported from England, and it was therefore left
to the shepherds of this country to fit and prepare
the candidates in this class of sheep for our fat
stock shows. During recent years, however, the
American fitter has been compelled to stand face
to face in the fat stock show ring with his English
and Canadian brothers, who have brought their
home-fitted wethers directly from their native
country to the International Live Stock Show and
other fat stock shows. It can easily be understood
what a struggle it must be to compete with an En-
glish fitter, considering the climatic conditions and
other advantages which the English have over the
Americans. Therefore, the American who suc-
ceeds in defeating the imported English stock has
won a great victory.

Type, fleece, and color of skin are not as essen-
tial in the show ring for fat wethers as for sheep
of the breeding classes, because there are other
factors of still greater importance for sheep to
go on the block. In the fat wether on the hoof his
form and the amount and kind of flesh he carries
are the most important points. When on the block
the most essential points of the carcass are the per-
centage of edible meat, and the quality, color, and
marbling of the meat. There are three distinct
classes of wethers. The first class is not far
200 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

enough advanced in condition and flesh, the sec-
ond is just right, and the third is too far advanced.
The second or middle class is of course the one
which is successful.

Thorough knowledge and great judgment in feed-
ing are required to get the animal in just the proper
condition. In late years judges of fat wethers have
been far more accurate in making their decisions
than they were in former years. They know that
the expert carcass judge next passes his judgment
upon the animals and brings to light either the
correctness or incorrectness of the decision when
on foot. To fit a wether with the highest quality
of meat, so that every part of his body is covered
smoothly with the firmest kind of flesh, and so
that his carcass does not show any surplus fat, or
tallow, and yet possesses a mellow touch, is by no
means a small task.

SELECTION OF WETHERS.

As in the case of breeding sheep, only well-bal-
anced animals should be selected to fit for the fat
stock ring. Wethers that have long legs, crooked
feet, or broken-down pasterns are of no use. The
right kind of wether should have an even, straight,
smooth, broad back and should be free from
coarseness in any part. While we like to see as
much type as possible, still it is far less important
Fitting Wethers for Shows. 201

in fat wethers than in breeding animals. In pick-
ing out a wether to fit for the fat class the most im-
portance should be placed on his conformation,

 

 

 

 

 

 

Puare 57. Pure-bred Hampshire yearling wether winning third prize
in open class and championship in American class at the International,
1910, shown by the University of Wisconsin.

firm handling qualities, and density of fleece. In
the writer’s experience no wether which has had a
long, loose, open fleece, for his particular breed,
has ever proved to be a prize winner when fat-
tened. His favorites have always been those with
202 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

comparatively short and very dense fleeces. If a
wether handles soft at the start he will be much
worse at the end of the fitting period, and no soft,
blubbery wether can win if a capable judge is
making the awards.

SHEARING WETHERS.

Wethers for show can be sheared much later in
the season than breeding animals, since the length
of the wool does not count for much on wethers
in the show ring. Wethers which have been
sheared too early suffer a great deal on hot sum.
mer days and do not progress nearly so well as
when sheared later on, although judgment must be
used not to go to an extreme and let them suffer
from heat with their old, long coats on. A short
fleece tends to make them more firm and solid,
while a long fleece makes them seem soft. Weth-
ers that are brought into the show ring with com-
paratively short fleeces on them generally handle
well, and these good handlers are selected as win-
ners,

AGE TO SHOW WETHERS.

In earlier years fat wethers, at least at some
shows, consisted of three classes, two-year-olds,
yearlings, and lambs. Nowadays the two-year-old
class is not listed, and the writer believes that in
lime the yearling class will also drop out of ex-
Fitting Wethers for Shows. 203

istence. The nice juicy lamb chop is in just as
great demand at the present time as baby beef.
The American people desire the youngest and
juiciest kind of meat for consumption, and they
find the lamb better than the yearling. It may be
said right here that only an extra good lamb should
be carried over to be fitted as a yearling. Unless
one can foresee that the lamb will be a prize win-
ner as a yearling there is no use feeding it an-
other year, since the lamb will sell for about as
much as the yearling, and one year’s feed is saved.

BEST CLASS TO FIT.

If the writer had a choice in selecting yearlings
to be fitted from a lot which contained some that
had been fitted and shown as lambs and others
that had not been fitted previously, both lots being
equally good in general make-up, he would imme-
diately decide upon those that had not been fitted
and shown as lambs. He would do this because it
is very difficult to make a prize winning lamb a
prize winning yearling. Yet in one instance the
writer was very fortunate in taking first, champion-
ship, and grand championship prizes at the Inter-
national Live Stock Show at Chicago on a year-
ling which the previous year, as a lamb, had won
first prize. However, this was a very exceptional
204 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

case. Sheep with new flesh and in new bloom are
the best kind to show.

FEEDING THE WETHERS.

It takes from four to four and one-half months
of steady feeding to get yearling wethers in proper
shape for the show ring and the block. Of course
animals in a rather thin condition will require an
even longer feeding period. This work should
never be hurried and crowded along too rapidly,
for if the wethers are pushed along too fast the
chances are that they will become soft and lose
their firm handling quality. Lambs, however, are
brought right forward from the day they com-
mence eating. It is very essential that lambs and
yearlings should not be overheated, which often
happens in hot weather. Therefore, especially
during the hot weather, grain should be fed but
once a day, until cooler weather comes on towards
fall. Cabbage and turnips tend to keep them cool
when fed to them during the warmest weather.
When there is a shortage of pasture clover or
alfalfa hay may be fed.

THE BEST GRAIN MIXTURE TO FEED.

In the writer’s experience no better results have
been obtained in producing winners on the hoof,
as well as on the block, than by feeding yearling
Fitting Wethers for Shows. 205

wethers a grain mixture consisting of one part
bran, two parts oats, one part cracked field peas,
and one part barley. A little corn may be added in
place of peas, if these are not available. Heavy
corn feeding, however, should be avoided, as it

 

 

Pirate 58. A pair of prize-winning Southdown yearling wethers shown
by the University of Wisconsin.

produces too soft a carcass, which does not insure
firm handling when alive and shows surplus fat
when dressed. Many fitters of wethers have
learned bitter lessons from feeding too much corn.

This rich grain ration will not do for lambs in
warm weather, for it is too heavy. During the
206 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

warm weather a mixture of bran, oats, and a very
little oilmeal has given satisfaction for feeding
lambs. In cool weather a few peas and a little
barley or corn will not injure the lambs, but, in
general, lambs need very close watching so as not
to overload them with grain, which causes over-
heating and foundering. They should, however,
have all the green feeds they can eat. During the
hottest months of the fitting period the best feeds
for them are cabbage, rape, green clover, turnips,
or rutabagas. At this time these feeds, together
with some good clover or alfalfa hay, preferably
the latter, should be their main ration. The
feeder must judge as to the amount of grain to be
fed to each animal.

Often the writer has been feeding yearlings
heavily for two or three weeks, because he thought
that they were not advancing rapidly. After
handling them again, he found that they were gain-
ing too fast, and therefore the grain ration was
decreased somewhat so that at show time they
would be in just the proper condition. The touch
of the feeder’s hand must guide the feeding.
Lambs hardly ever get too fat.

FITTING YEARLING WETHERS.

The writer will now give the course pursued by
him in fitting yearling wethers and lambs that
Fitting Wethers for Shows. 207

have been successfully shown at the largest fat
stock shows.

All the animals which have been fitted for these
shows have been fed experimentally on different
rations in order to study the value of various feeds.
In so doing all the feed except pasturage is weighed
and recorded, enabling the writer to give here the
most successful rations.

The yearlings are sheared from April 30 to May
10, according to the weather. They are turned out
on grass about May 20. No grain, hay, or other feed
is now given them. About July 10 they are brought
to the barn, and from this date a small allowance
of grain is fed every morning, after which they are
driven into a small pasture near the barn where
there are nice shade trees.

About July 15 the first trimming or so-called
blocking-out is done. A cool day should always
be chosen for trimming any sheep, as otherwise
they are apt to become overheated from struggling
before they become accustomed to being trimmed.
About August 10 the pasture is generally becom-
ing scant and some nice clover hay is therefore fed
to them in the evening. At the same time the early
cabbage is ready for feeding, and each wether re-
ceives from one and one-half to two pounds per

head daily.
208 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

About August 15 they are trimmed the second
time, and where the wool was too short at the time
of the first trimming to give the wether the proper
shape, it is now trimmed to the best form possible.

The grain ration is also increased a little at this

 

 

-PLrare 59. Pure-bred Southdown yearling wether winning’ third
prize in open class and championship in college class at the Interna-
tional, 1910, shown by the University of Wisconsin.

time. Beginning September 20, grain is fed twice
daily, the full amount formerly fed being. still
given in the morning, but only a little being at first
given in the evening. The amount is gradually in-
creased as the weather gets cooler. A little hay is
now fed in the morning after the grain is given and
before they go out to pasture. The wethers now re-
Fitting Wethers for Shows. 209

ceive a third trimming, after which they need only
be kept smooth, as their form has been shaped at
previous trimmings. At each trimming the weth-
ers are carefully handled and their condition
studied, so that their grain ration may be increased
or decreased in view of the time when they are to
be shown. About October 1 rutabagas are ready to
be fed, and as excessive cabbage feeding may tend
to make the wethers a little soft in handling, each
wether receives about two pounds of rutabagas
each day chopped up with a root cutter. The
amount of cabbage is reduced at this time to one
pound for each wether, making two pounds of
roots and one pound of cabbage for each wether
daily.

This ration is continued until November 1 when
cabbage is abandoned and the same amount of
roots, two pounds, still fed. The aim from this
time on is to feed them mostly on grain and hay,
so that they will become firm and hard and be solid
in handling, which is the main point in the ring
as well as on the block. If time permits they are
given another trimming about the middle of Octo-
ber. About November 15 they are touched up
with the shears for the last time and are then cov-

ered with blankets.
14
210 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

Their feet receive careful attention at least every
five or six weeks, and the hoofs are trimmed when
found necessary. Until November 1 the wethers
are out of doors every day, with the exception of
rainy days, principally to get all the exercise pos-

 

 

Piate 60. Grand champion pure-bred Southdown yearling wether
at the International, 1910, shown by the Huntleywood Farm, Quebec,
Canada.

sible. After November 1 they are kept in the barn
day and night, and only in the nicest weather are
they allowed to run about in the sheep yard for a
couple of hours at a time. For shows that are held
earlier in the fall than the International the feed-
ing has to be crowded along a little more. Before
loading on the car for shipment to the show they
Fitting Wethers for Shows. 211

are fed only a half meal of dry feed, to prevent
scouring.

When feeding yearling wethers and lambs we
often find that some of them become troubled with
sore sheaths. These should be treated as already
stated elsewhere in this work. They should be
washed out with a syringe a few times, using one
quart of warm water to one-half teaspoonful of
permanganate of potash, and a little iodoform
should be sprinkled on the sore. This treatment
will soon remedy the trouble.

FITTING WETHER LAMBS.

Lambs that are to be shown late in the fall are
generally put into the barn about September 1.
Their grain ration has been outlined before. Dur-
ing warm weather they should be fed all the green
feed they will eat, such as cabbage, roots, and
green clover. Care must be taken that they are
not overheated and foundered from too heavy
grain feeding. There is, however, no danger of
getting lambs too fat through heavy grain feeding,
for they are growing too rapidly to put on much
fat. In cooler weather more grain may safely be
fed, and the allowance of green feed cut down
somewhat, for feeding an excessive amount of
green feed continuously is apt to make the lambs
alittle soft. Of course, there is not nearly so much
212 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

danger of lambs handling soft as there is in the
case of yearlings. If a lamb at any time becomes
overheated and founders from eating too much
grain, it should be separated from the rest of the

 

 

 

Puiatre 61. Champion pure-bred Cheviot yearling wether at the Inter-
national, 1909, shown by the University of Wisconsin.

flock and be given a dose of two tablespoonfuls
of epsom salts dissolved in water for a physic. If
this does not bring about the desired results
the dose should be repeated. The lamb should
not be given any more grain until the trouble is
over. When lambs are overheated they are stiff
Fitting Wethers for Shows. 213

in their legs and body, shake when walking, and
drink lots of water. If they are once foundered it
is difficult to get them right again.

SYMPTOMS OF FOUNDER.

The term foundering is well known to many ex-
pert show fitters. It does not make any difference
how well any man is posted in fitting sheep, he
will once in a while have a foundered lamb. [n
a bunch of eight to ten head fed in the most care-
ful manner, there are perhaps one or two which
are more greedy than the others. By this greedi-
ness they get a little more grain than their share,
and if the grain is of a heavy, rich nature during
warm weather they become foundered.

A foundered lamb becomes stiff on all its four
legs. It walks just as if it did not have any joints
in its limbs, its temperature is abnormally high.
and its breathing is very fast, indicating a feverish
condition. It does not care to walk even a sherl
distance and les down every twenty to thirty
feet, and sometimes oftener, when it is driven.
This condition is due to an overheated, so-called
“burned out” stomach caused by eating too much
heavy grain. While a certain amount of grain
may bring on this trouble in hot weather, in cooler
weather this same amount, or even more, would
not hurt the lamb in the least
214 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

REMEDY FOR FOUNDER.

A foundered lamb should be removed from the
rest and placed in as cool quarters as can be given
it. The grain allowance should be discontinued,

 

   
 

ww ne err ban ne nr ee ee
oor

Puate 62. The outline of a sheep showing the location of the various
butcher’s cuts.

and it should be fed on green feeds, such as rape,
cabbage, turnips, and green clover, with perhaps
a little good hay. The lamb should remain in
these cool quarters until the feverish condition has
disappeared. While there is scarcely any medi-
cine that will help the lamb so affected, yet a quar-
 

 

 

 

 

PLaTteE 63.4 Two lamb carcasses. The one at the left is the kind
sought by the butcher. It has the most valuable cuts. Note the short-
ness of neck. width of back and loin, full hind quarter, and short legs,
as compared with the one at the right.
216 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

ter of a teaspoonful of saltpeter given twice a day
in a little water may prove of some help. A dose
or two of physic is also beneficial.

TRIMMING THE LAMBS.

Lambs do not necessarily need to be trimmed
until they are brought to the barn, which, as al-
ready mentioned, is about September 1. On any

 

 

Prare 64. Dressed carcasses of yearling wethers, first, second, and
third prize winners. All three were Southdowns shown by the University
of Wisconsin at the International of 1913. The one on the right was

the champion carcass of the show.

cool day after that date they may receive their
first trimming. Three trimmings should bring
them into very nice form, as their wool is longer
than that on yearlings, and therefore they can be
blocked out with fewer trimmings. While they
are being fitted it is necessary to give their feet
attention, one or two trimmings usually being nec-

essary to keep their hoofs in proper shape.
Fitting Wethers for Shows.

wo
“I

SELECTING BLOCK WINNERS.

Very often many of the prize winning wethcrs
on the hoof do not win on the block. This is prob-
ably true in more cases in England than in Amer-
ica. At the English shows fatter, softer, and more
blubbery wethers are shown than in America, and
these animals are awarded the prize money be-

 

 

 

Piatre 65. Dressed carcasses of lambs, first, second, and third prize
winners. All three were Southdowns. The second and third prize
winners were shown by the University of Wisconsin at the International
of 1913.

cause the English seem to like fatter mutton than
do Americans. The American judges of fat weth-
ers have come to realize what it is that the butcher
wants when the animal is brought on the block.
It has been demonstrated time and again that
the Southdown excels all other breeds when it
comes to the block test. This breed of sheep more
adequately fills the requirements of what consti-
tutes a good form, and shows the proper mixing
of fat with lean meat, which forms what is termed
218 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

“nicely marbled” meat. The carcass possesses
great thickness, and has the least tallow in propor-
tion to the lean meat. The Shropshire stands next
in rank to the Southdown, judging from the win-
nings by this breed at the International during the
past fourteen years.

A person who has carefully observed the awards
made in the carcass classes, can pretty well judge
when the sheep are alive which of them will win
on the block. Such carcasses will win that cut the
most edible meat, especially those parts that sell
for the highest prices, providing, of course, that
the meat is of the proper quality. A wether that
usually wins on the block is of the following de-
scription when alive. To start with he has a very
short neck, is broad and smooth on the shoulders,
with a well-developed back, has no depression be-
tween shoulder and first rib, and has sides which
do not bulge out. His back is very smooth and
broad, being especially broad and thick over the
loin, with a long, wide hind quarter filled out well
in the twist nearly to the hocks. There is no sur-
plus fat on the tail-head, nor on the fore flank,
the belly does not hang down too deep, and the
legs are short and not coarse in bone. The wether
must have a very firm handling quality, as those
that handle soft alive will also handle soft when
dressed. If fed on the right kind of feed the car-
Fitting Wethers for Shows. 219

cass will display the desired so-called “cream”
color.

The writer has fitted the champion carcass prize
winners ten years out of fourteen years’ showing at
the International, and has won many other prizes
in these classes. He has therefore gained some
knowledge, at least, in this line of work. At the
close of this discussion it may be stated that a
wether that has the right conformation and is fed
the proper quantity of the right kind of feed is
bound to win on the block. Among these feeds,
alfalfa and clover hay, oats, barley, bran, and espe-
cially peas may be highly recommended.
 

 

 

 

 

and

The Shepherd’s reward. Ribbons representing careful selection, faithful, painstaking labor,

proper judgment in feeding.

PLATE 66.

Won by the University of Wisconsin at the International, 1909.
CHAPTER XI.
THE ART AND METHOD OF JUDGING SHEEP.

JUDGING SHEEP AT FAIRS, IN THE CLASSROOM,
OR ON THE FARM.

Acting as the judge of sheep at fairs is by no
means a small task, for the person who performs
this duty assumes a large measure of responsi-
bility. Incompetence of a judge is inexcusable in
every event. No person should ever attempt to
act as judge, even at a county fair, unless he pos-
sesses the necessary qualifications. Wherever
judging is done at any fair, whether large or small,
a crowd of interested onlookers watch the work
and decisions of the judge, and aim to learn the
highest type and conformation of animals. If the
judge is not capable of selecting the best animals
for the prize winners from those which are brought
before him, but selects unworthy candidates, he is
not only depriving exhibitors of their prize money
and the honor rightfully belonging to them, but he
is also deceiving the interested onlookers. He con-
veys the wrong impression of what constitutes the
highest class of well-conditioned show animals to
those who come to the fair to learn. Any person
guilty of awarding prizes to unworthy animals is

(221)
222 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

committing an offense which he cannot rectify
later on. Generally the practical sheepmen who
are themselves good breeders and successful ex-
hibitors have given the best satisfaction as judges.
It is clear to everyone that a man who for years
has cared for and raised sheep and is familiar
with show yard deceptions will make a more effi-
cient judge than one who only occasionally sees a
sheep.

The judge must possess the following qualifica-
tions before he is competent to officiate in the ring:

First, he must be thoroughly familiar with the
standard of excellence of each individual breed of
sheep he is to pass upon.

Second, he must have learned the practical man-
ner of handling and examining sheep.

Third, he must possess the indispensable sharp-
ness to quickly see the best points in one sheep and
the defective ones in another.

Fourth, when questioned he must be able to state
the reasons upon which he bases his decision.

Fifth, he should be able to pass judgment on a
class in a fairly speedy manner.

Sixth, and most important of all, the judge must
be strictly honest.

In the show ring he should accord the same treat-
ment to his enemy that he does to his friend. Ab-
solute impartiality should govern his decision. Of
Art and Method of Judging Sheep. 223

course no judge can please all exhibitors, as the
better animals will win and the inferior ones will
always lose. But if a judge who understands his
business gives all concerned a square deal, not
much criticism will follow his work. The judge
who has rated the animals correctly can leave the
fair grounds with a clear conscience and with a
feeling that he has accorded justice to all. Differ-
ence of opinion will always prevail, but on the
whole general satisfaction attends the decisions of
the capable judge.

A thorough knowledge of how to judge sheep is
highly important not only for the student and for
one who intends to judge at fairs, but also for
every sheep raiser. In the selection of breeding
rams and ewes for his flock, the sheep raiser will
be less likely to make mistakes, if he has a clear
idea of the best types and forms of sheep. A flock
owner often has several well-formed, well-built
sheep in the flock but fails to detect them because
he is unable to recognize the best types and forms.
A great variation is often seen in sheep of the same
breed so that it is essential that one be well-in-
formed about all the fine points in order to make
intelligent selections. This is true whether one is
a judge at fairs, a breeder of sheep, or a student
in an agricultural college. To know how to judge
sheep will aid materially in the upbuilding of sheep
224 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

husbandry in general, besides creating a desire to
raise the better and more profitable kind in prefer-
ence to the inferior grades.

FEW FITTED TO JUDGE.

Today we have not a great many judges of sheep
in America who have attained a national reputa-
tion in this line of work. The number of these is
so small that they can almost be counted on a
man’s ten fingers. The majority of them are men
who are quite advanced in age, and their years in
life are counted. Therefore it is to be hoped that
more young men who like sheep will take an in-
terest in this work and become competent sheep
judges. They are surely needed to follow the
footsteps of the old veterans.

Some men do not make an attempt to judge
sheep, in spite of the fact that they could easily fit
themselves to do so. The simple reason for this is,
perhaps, that they are afraid that they cannot come
up to the master shepherd’s work with the shears
in trimming, for judging is somewhat difficult for
a man who himself is not a practical shepherd and
has never fitted or trimmed a sheep.

A good judge must necessarily have the proper
type and conformation of each breed of sheep
strongly fixed in his mind, and must know the right
Art and Method of Judging Sheep. 225

way to handle sheep, in order to judge sheep satis-
factorily. It should be remembered at all times
that in judging breeding classes, one must hold
strongly to breed type; while in judging fat sheep,
less attention is paid to type, wool, skin, and color
of face or legs, and more to the form of the sheep,
its proper meatiness, and the best development of
those parts which will bring the highest price on
the butcher’s block. However, fat sheep must also
possess some type of their respective breeds.

GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR JUDGING.

The method given should be followed at all
times, except in the case of sheep which are per-
mitted to have horns, when one does not need to
examine the poll of the head; or in the case of fat
sheep, when one does not need to look at the length
or quality of the wool, or for the color of the skin.
All other points are practically the same in both
breeding and fat classes.

The age of the sheep must be determined first
of all, so that no exhibitor shows a sheep which is
older or younger than the class in which it belongs.
Age is a very important point. The writer has
judged thousands of sheep at many different
county and state fairs, national and international

shows, and has many times found sheep that were
15
THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN,

SCORE CARD FOR
MUTTON SHEEP.

Points Deficient

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

Pos-
SCALE OF POINTS sible | Student’s Cor-
, Score Score rected.
aa devietneute Teeth........ 0... ! |
PPEARANCE—24 POINTS |
. actual |
pounds according to age............... + 6
Form, low, long, symmetrical. compact, | |
and evenly covered with firm flesh .. | 10: |) os
Quality, clean bone; silky hair........ ... | 6 Joo
Temperament,...........ccccceee es : 2 |
HEAD AND NECK—9 POINTS |
Muzzle, fair size; nostrils large: lips
thin; mouth large................. 4 2 |
Eyes, full; bright... ‘ 1
Face, short, bold expression 1
Forehead, broad | 1
Ears, fine, erect... Hs | 1
Neck, thick, short; throat cleatins Ba 3
FOREQUARTERS—13 POINTS | i
Shoulder Vein, full.. - | 2
Shoulders, covered, cainpacte { Br lt gee & acese
Chest, deep, wide, large girth. 1 om
Brisket, full prominent; breast wide 2
Legs, straight, short, wide apart, strong; |
forearm full, shank smooth....... ........ | 3
BOD Y—13 POINTS |
Back, straight, wide... 4
Loin, broad, thick... 4
Ribs, deep, arched 3

 

Flank, low, thick, making underline
straight © ...... ae 2
HINDQUARTERS—17 POINTS

 

   

 

 

Hips, smooth, far apart... 2... 3
Rump, long, level, wide. | 4
Thighs, full, well fleshed. 3
Twist, plump, deep.. .......... 4
Legs, straight, short, strong; shank
STO OCW 4. ss a tseewtni a Go Sdeschalaaedabbneont 3 be
CONSTITUTION—10 POINTS

Girth, large ' 3
Skin, pink color.. | 3

 

Fleece, dense and even over body, yolk |
STATE AG aed eh cece, casetanon shassomesnone ee
WOOL—14 POINTS
Quantity, long, dense, even
Quality, fine, soft, pure, even... Be
Condition, bright, strong, clean............ \

 

 

rR D

 

 

DOC lass cs ttaiiccaesesaceatacad sah vagttanciqesdia besnsnaverde F | 100

   
Art and Method of Judging Sheep. 227

exhibited in wrong age classes. In some cases, ex-
hibitors have done this to try out the judge to see
if he knew his business. It is also necessary to
make sure that each sheep shown in a class belongs
to the sex that the class calls for. The writer has
found cases where ram lambs were shown in ewe
lamb classes, and wethers in ram classes. All of
these points should not be overlooked, as they are
of great importance.

It is also a good plan to let the sheep walk
around the show ring before making a decision, in
order to see that none are lame in one foot or leg.
This often cannot be discovered, for some shep-
herds know how to hold a sheep in the ring so as
to hide this defect. Style and carriage, as well as
active movement, should also be considered when
the sheep is turned loose in the ring. This method
is often very helpful when there is close competi-
tion. For instance, a very fat, overdone, sluggish
ram or ewe should never be placed over one which
is in the pink of condition, and full of life and
vigor, provided the latter has no other serious
faults or defects. To make sure of these points,
the judge is almost obliged to turn the sheep loose
in the ring. Serious cases of lameness often dis-
qualify sheep from competition. However, good
228 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

judgment must be exercised to ascertain whether
the injury is permanent or only temporary.

JUDGING RAM CLASSES.

In passing judgment on classes of rams, it is also
important for the judge to examine the scrotum of
each, to find out whether or not the ram is fully
developed. In cases where the ram has only one
testicle instead of two, he should be disquelified on
this account. This is important, for the writer has
found many rams in show rings that had this de-
feet, and a judge is liable to severe criticism if he
overlooks anything of this sort. In selecting a ram
to head the flock, an examination of the scrotum
should not be forgotten.

The judging of sheep in general is perhaps more
difficult than that of other classes of stock, be-
cause the wool hides many defects which can
only be found by the proper methods of handling.
Nevertheless, if a man is once accustomed to this
work and knows the proper method of handling,
he will not make many blunders in judging the
largest classes at any fair, whether county, state,
national or international.

For the benefit of the student in agriculture who
takes up work in sheep husbandry and for every
Art and Method of Judging Sheep. 229

other person who wants to learn sheep judging,
the writer will show in the accompanying illustra-
tions, the most helpful, up-to-date methods of ex-
amining sheep so that none of the important points
are overlooked. The latest standards given by the
respective associations are also included. No
lime or money has been spared in securing photo-
graphs of the different breeds of sheep which
show the most typical up-to-date types and charac-
teristics of the different breeds.

PROPER METHOD OF HANDLING SHEEP IN JUDGING.

In judging sheep, the eye should be trained in
such a way that it will detect any deficiencies in a
sheep by a single glance. It is therefore advisable
to look at a sheep first, before putting the hands
on it. After the judge has observed the breed
characteristics, the general form of the body, the
kind of wool, the build of the legs and the
size of the bone, he will have a pretty good idea
of the rank of the sheep. Then by the use of his
hands, he will find all other defects which may be
hidden beneath the covering of wool. It is advis-
able while the body is being handled, that the
judge keep all his fingers on both hands close to-
gether so as not to mar the evenness and smooth-

ness of the fleece.
230 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.
EXAMINING THE HEAD AND DETERMINING THE AGE.

In judging rams, one should examine the head
closely, as it should be broader and show more
masculinity than that of the ewe. A short, broad,
masculine head, with bold eyes, indicates a sire

 

 

 

 

 

Piare 67. Ram, looking at the head and cyes. ‘The shape of the head,
the masculinity, and the color of the face shou!d be observed.
Art and Method of Judging Sheep. 231

of vigor and prepotency. The color of the face of
both ram and ewe and the covering of wool must
be in compliance with the standard of each indi-
vidual breed. When examining the head, first of
all, the age of the sheep in the ring should be de-
termined, and if there is one that is older or young-
er than the class calls for, it must be disregarded.
The method of determining the age is shown on
page 31. The quality of the sheep may also be
noted at this time by either the fine and silky or

the coarse hair growing on the sheep’s nose.
WATCH FOR HORNS OR A GOITRE.

In judging sheep, especially rams of the breeds
which should be free from horns or stubs of horns,
the judge may easily determine this fact by plac-
ing two fingers of the right hand on the poll of the
head as shown in Figure 68. Often these stubs of
horns are hidden in the wool which has grown
over them so that they are not visible to the eye.
Stubs are seldom found on ewes. By placing the
left hand on the sheep’s throat it may be deter-
mined whether the sheep has a goitre. If the ram
or ewe is found to have a noticeable goitre, the
sheep may be disqualified. It is a serious matter
to use a ram or ewe for breeding that has such a
232 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

 

 

 

 

 

PLare 68. Finding with two fingers of the right hand whether
the sheep is free from stubs of horns, with the left whether it is free

from a goitre.
defect, for it is very difficult to raise the offspring.
In many cases this defect is inherited. In judging
fat sheep, however, a goilre would not be as ob-
jectionable.
EXAMINING THE THICKNESS AND LENGTH OF NECK.
In the foregoing, it has been stated that it is very
essential that a good sheep have a broad head.
Art and Method of Judging Sheep. 233

When this is the case, the sheep usually has a
thick, short neck. On a ram, of course, we expect
to find a thicker neck than on a ewe, but on the
ewe while her feminine character allows her to
have a neck that is not as thick as that of a ram,
it must be short. When a sheep has a short, thick
neck, it adds greatly to its appearance; and _ if
found on a ram, one can generally rely upon his
being a good sire. Furthermore, the meat cut from
the neck is of the cheaper kind as compared to the
other parts, and if the butcher has bought the

 

 

 

 

 

PLate 69. Determining the thickness of the neck. The neck should
be thick and short, especially on the ram.
234 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

sheep by the pound and has very much of this to
sell, it becomes a loss to him. The larger breeds
naturally have longer necks than the smaller ones,
but every flock-owner of any breed should aim to
breed a sheep with a short neck, since this is the
kind the market demands.

 

 

 

 

 

PLarre 70. The shoulder vein should be full, not leaving any depression
between the neck and the shoulder.
Art and Method of Judging Sheep. 235

THE SHOULDER VEIN.

The term shoulder vein does not mean that there
is a particular vein at the place where the neck
and shoulder join. It simply indicates the place
where they meet. The shoulder vein of the sheep,
corresponds to the place where the collar rests on
the horse when in harness, and the neck should
slope down from the head and join the shoulder
in such a way that no depression is noticeable
where they join, on top as well as on the sides.
When so built, it adds to the value of the carcass,
as butchers dislike the kind that are not well-de-
veloped in this part. It indicates a slim neck in
front of it.

NOTING THE DEPTH OF CHEST.

By placing the right hand on top of the shoulder
and the left hand between the fore legs, the depth
of the chest may be estimated. A deep, broad chest
is very essential in a sheep, rams as well as ewes.
This part includes the shoulder, the breast, and the
brisket. If the sheep is wide, broad, and deep in
the chest, not only its greater weight and value of
carcass is insured, but also its health. If the chest
is narrow and shallow; the vital organs, the heart,
and the lungs, which are at work there, are con-
gested and cannot properly perform their func-
tions, thereby causing a weak sheep that cannot
236 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

 

 

 

 

 

PLare 71. Iestimating the depth of the chest by placing right hand on
top of the shoulder, Jefl hand between the fore legs.

withstand any atlack of illness. On the other hand,
the sheep that has a broad, deep chest, is strong,
robust, healthy, and not nearly so susceptible to
illness.

MEASURING THE WIDTH OF THE HEART GIRTH.

The width of the heart girth also aids in pro-
moting the health of the sheep. If the sheep is
 

Art and Method of Judging Sheep. 237

broad and deep in the chest, but is light and nar-
row in the heart girth, the vital organs, some of
which occupy space in it, are cramped too closely
together. Furthermore, there would be a depres-
sion between the shoulder and the ribs which
would destroy the square, symmetrical form of
the sheep. A wide, deep, heart girth and chest in-
sures a good constitution and is a very important
factor.

 

 

 

 

 

Puare 72. Measuring the width of the heart girth. <A large heart
girth denotes a strong constitution.
238 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

COVERING, WIDTH, AND STRAIGHTNESS OF BACK.

The back includes the part of the sheep from
the shoulders to the hips. From these parts the
butcher gets the cuts of meat which sell for a higher

 

 

 

 

 

Prare 73. Examining the straightness and covering of the back.
This is a very essential part of a mutton sheep. The valuable cuts must
be well-developed.
Art and Method of Judging Sheep. 239

price at retail than any other part of the sheep.
For this reason, the back first of all should be
straight, with well-sprung ribs that give width to
the back and good depth. Then the butcher can
get many more pounds of these choice, higher-
priced cuts and will be well repaid for the higher
price he paid for the sheep with a broad back.
The covering of flesh on the back is an important
factor also. A broad, wide back with but little
meat on it is not sought by the butcher, and since
all mutton breeds go to the block eventually, a
well-fleshed, straight, broad back is very desirable.
The straightness of the back also adds to the good
appearance of the sheep.

MEASURING THE WIDTH AND THICKNESS OF LOIN.

Measuring the width and thickness of the sheep’s
loin is another important point in rendering de-
cisions, especially in judging fat sheep. For ex-
ample, if two sheep are equally good in all other
points, but one has a wider loin than the other,
the latter should be given the preference, because
from the loin the butcher gets many of the valu-
able cuts of meat. Usually when a sheep has a
broad, fleshy, and well-developed back, it also has
a broad, thick loin. In order that the smoothness
240 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

of the fleece may not be marred and the sheep an-
noyed when the loin is being measured, the judge
should place his hands straight on the loin, keep-

 

 

 

 

 

Pare 74. The loin should be broad and thick. [lt is also one of the
valuable cuts.

ing his fingers together as shown in the illustra-
tion.
NOTING THE WIDTH OF THE RUMP.

The idea of placing the two hands on the sheep’s
rump, is to find out whether the sheep carries its
 

Art and Method of Judging Sheep. 241

width out to the end of the body, straight and full.
The reason for the importance of this examination
is that the part back of the hips, called the rump

 

 

 

 

 

Piate 75. Noting the width and fullness of rump. It is essential
that the sheep carry its width to the end of the body.

or hindquarter, has the second highest priced meat.
It is therefore essential that the sheep should be
wide and full at this part of the body. Many sheep

that are well-developed all over the body, often lack
16
242 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

much in width of the rump. Instead of holding
the straight line out to the end, they taper off to a
sharp point. This defect is often not very notice-
able, especially if the sheep has been trimmed.
Much can be done by trimming to deceive the eye
and to improve the looks of the sheep.

EXAMINING THE DEPTH OF TWIST.

By placing the left hand on top at the end of the
rump, and the right hand between the two hind
legs as shown in Figure 76, the judge can deter-
mine the fullness and depth of the sheep’s twist.
This portion when well-developed adds greatly to
the value of the sheep, and consequently should
receive the sharp attention of the judge. Sheep
vary a great deal in this respect; some carry full-
ness of mutton down to the hocks, others nearly
down, and still others are cut up between the legs
like a goat. There is, of course, a natural differ-
ence in breeds with regard to this point, but it is
desirable that each breed show a good develop-
ment of the twist. The Southdown, perhaps, leads
all other breeds in development here. It is well
when judging rams to make sure at this time that
they are fully developed and possess two testicles.
 

Art and Method of Judging Sheep. 243

 

 

 

 

 

PuLatre 76.,) A good sheep has a well-developed, full,_deep twist to help
make a big leg of mutton.

A LARGE LEG OF MUTTON DESIRABLE.

It is essential that each sheep should have a
large, well-fleshed leg of mutton. Many, however,
lack this highly desired development. A deep, full
twist, and a well-fleshed thigh together furnish a
 

 

 

 

 

 

PLare 77. Placing the left hand in front, the right at the rear of
the leg, shows definitely the size of the leg of mutton.
Art and Method of Judging Sheep. 245

large leg of mutton. Many people in this coun-
try, especially the wealthier classes, are great ad-
mirers of a good leg of mutton or lamb. There-
fore, in selecting a ram to head the flock, particu-
lar attention should be paid to this point, since all
good, as well as inferior qualities, are transmitted
to the offspring by the sire and dam. By placing
the two hands around the leg, as shown in Figure
77, the judge can quickly note the size and fleshi-
ness of the leg.

EXAMINING THE FLEECE AND SKIN.

The proper method of parting the wool on the
sheep’s shoulder without marring the fleece is
shown in Figure 78. When this is done correctly
the fleece will part readily in layers. The length,
fineness, lustre, crimp, and yolk is then noted. At
the same time, the color of the skin should be
taken into consideration. The skin should be of a
pink color, indicating good health and good blood
circulation. When a sheep is out of condition,
caused by over-feeding, or perhaps, is infested
with internal parasites, the color of the skin is
rather pale. However, it should be remembered
246 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

that some breeds of sheep naturally have a darker
color of skin than others. The wool should be
dense and of fine quality over the entire body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Puare 78. Parting the wool on the shoulder, noting the length, quality
of the wool, and the color of the skin.
Art and Method of Judging Sheep. 247

NOTING THE QUALITY OF WOOL ON THE THIGH.

The best and finest wool on the sheep grows on
the shoulder and heart girth, the poorest on the
belly. It is difficult, however, to examine and com-

 

 

 

 

 

PLatTeE 79. Sepurate the wool on the thigh and compare it with that
found on the shoulder. The quality in these parts should be as even

as possible.
248 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

pare the wool on the under part of the body. The
next poorest grows on the thigh. The evenness of
quality is determined by these two parts. It should
compare nearly uniformly in quality and fineness.
It may be stated here that the writer in all his years
of experience in raising and judging sheep has
never found one sheep that was absolutely even in
quality of the wool. Usually a slight difference can
be noted, the. wool on the thigh being a trifle
coarser than that on the shoulder. It is very de-
sirable to have the wool on both of these places as
uniform in quality and fineness as possible. Fig-
ure 79 shows the proper place to make these com-
parisons.
CHAPTER XII.
CLASSIFICATION OF THE BREEDS OF SHEEP.

Fewer breeds of sheep are raised on American
farms than in Great Britain. Indeed, in England
and Scotland, American flockowners would find
not only the breeds common in this country, but
also several which were practically unknown to
them. Therefore, perhaps the best opportunity
one could have to see all the various breeds with-
out traveling over a large territory, would be to
attend the great annual Royal show usually held
in one of the larger cities in England. At this show,
the breeds of sheep raised in England, Scotland,
and Ireland are all assembled, making a grand
display and leaving a deep impression on the per-
son who is interested in seeing so many different
kinds on exhibition. This show offers an excellent
chance to study and compare the different breeds.

At the present time, only about twelve breeds
are familiar to American shepherds. These twelve
recognized breeds are divided into three distinct
groups, namely, medium or middle wools, long or
coarse wools, and fine wools.

The medium or middle wools consist of eight
different breeds, as follows: Shropshire Down,

(249)
250 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

Oxford Down, Hampshire Down, Southdown,
Dorset Horn, Cheviot, Suffolk, and Tunis. The last
two mentioned are not very numerous in the
United States.

The long or coarse wools consist of the follow-
ing: Cotswold, Lincoln, Leicester, and Romney
Marsh or Kent. There are not yet many of the last
named in America.

The fine wools consist of the following breeds:
American also called Spanish Merino, Delaine
Merino, and the Rambouillet or French Merino.

The writer has been asked many times which is
the best breed to raise. The beginner should deter-
mine this matter himself by considering the breed
he likes best, and the one which is best adapted
to the kind of land upon which he wishes to raise
sheep. If his land is hilly and rough, the smaller
breeds will do better than the larger ones, as it
will be easier for them to climb around the hills.
The larger breeds are better suited for the more
level areas.

Sheep are no longer raised merely for their
wool. Now mutton is considered first, and wool
is looked upon as a by-product. A breed of sheep
that has a good mutton form and at the same time
shears a fleece of good market quality, seems to be
in favor among flockmasters, and no doubt is the
most profitable.
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 251

Climatic conditions must also be considered in
determining the kind of breed to raise. If the
farmer intends to raise lambs for an early market,
the warmer states are more favorable than others.
It may be said that each breed will thrive and do
well if the climate corresponds as nearly as pos-
sible to that of the country from which the breed
originates. The beginner should make a careful
study of the conditions in his locality, and select
the breed best suited to his taste and conditions.

THE SHROPSHIRE.

The Shropshire is the most popular breed in
America at the present time. This may be ac-
counted for by the fact that it is a sheep of beau-
tiful style and appearance, with a good mutton
form, and has a fine fleece of good weight and
market quality. In size it ranks between the
Southdown and the other middle wool breeds.

The best Shropshire is wooled from nose to toes.
Its face and legs are a rich dark brown color. The
head is short and broad between the ears, with
full prominent eyes. The ears are small, carried
well erect, and covered preferably with fine curls
of wool on top. The neck is short, shoulders
smooth, and the chest very deep, with the brisket
projecting well forward. The back is straight and
broad with a good spring of ribs. The hindquar-
 

TE AEE OY, TIE TOTS
VO iil, Wie “WI GU
”

WH

 

 

 

 

Priare 80. Champion Shropshire yearling ram and ewe lamb at the
International, 1910, shown by Chandler Bros., Chariton, Iowa.
Both show very good Shropshire type and characteristics.
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 253

ters are full and deep with a well-developed leg
of mutton. The legs are short and straight, of
good sized bone, and set squarely under the body.
The skin is of light cherry color and free from dark
spots. The flecce when full grown is generally
about three inches long and contains considerable
yolk. There should be no horns or stubs on a
purebred Shropshire, nor should there be any but

white wool on its whole body and head.
254 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

POINTS OF EXCELLENCE FOR SHROPSHIRE SHEEP.

(1IMN—TYPE AND GENERAL APPEARANCE.
An alert, attractive, and stylish appearance, showing at a glance the
true characteristics of the Shropshire

(2)—FORM AND CONSTITUTION.
Head.—To impress at once the Shropshire characteristics.
Heads of Rams.—To be masculine as indicated by a broad nostril,
short, broad between ears and eyes.
N

                                                      

lines.

Heads of Ewes.—To be feminine in appearance, medium in length,
but not delicate.

Neck.—Not so strong as in the ram. In all cases head and face
nicely covered with wool; ears, short and erect; eyes, bright; color
of face, brown to a clear dark (not sooty black).

Body.—Well proportioned with shoulders so placed as to fit in evenly
to a deep wide brisket. A full heart-girth; broad level back; ribs
well sprung with straight underline; loins thick-fleshed; fore and
hind flank deep; a low coupled twist, and full leg of mutton.

Legs.—Brown to clear dark color (not sooty black), well set apart,
short and straight with strong upright pasterns.

Size.—When fully matured and in proper breeding condition,

Rams should weigh not less than 175 to 250 pounds and Ewes not
less than 140 to 180 pounds

(3)—FLESHING.

While the body should be well formed with the full outline pleasing
to the eye, yet it is the quality and quantity of flesh not fat.
which gives value to the carcass. Therefore the parts furnishing
the high-priced cuts should be fully developed.

The back, loins and legs, should be so fleshed as to show a large per-
centage of flesh compared with the other parts of the body, at the
same time symmetry must prevail throughout.

Strong bone in legs conformable with size of body usually goes witha
large proportion of lean meat to fat in the finished carcass.

(4)—FLEECE AND SKIN.

Fleece of good Jength, elastic to the touch, medium fine and slightly
crimped, free from black fibre and hairiness. Ram ’s scrotum to be
well covered with wool.

Rams should shear 8 to 15 pounds of wool and ewes 7 to 11.

Skin to be a bright cherry or clear color and comparatively free from
dark spots. ‘i ‘ ‘ ‘ 7 5 ‘ _

OBJECTIONS.

Long narrow head with long ears and neck; long legs; black wool on
head to any noticeable extent; failure of wool to meet closely at the
junction of facewool and on cheeks; white spots on face and legs;
crooked spine; light flanks, with long weak pasterns; spotted skin;
narrow chest showing lack of constitution.

DISQUALIFICATION FOR REGISTRY.

Such lack of type as to render it doubtful to a breeder what the breed

is; Horns or Stubs, not Scurs. Heads quite bare of wool.

30

35

10
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 255
THE OXFORD,

The Oxford originated from a cross between the
Cotswold and the Hampshire. As a result of the
combination of the blood from these two large
breeds, the Oxford today is a big sheep, and the
length of its wool adds further to its large appear-
ance. A true type Oxford shows an abundance of
style and carriage.

It is a large-framed, heavy-boned sheep. The
color of the face and legs varies considerably, some
being brown and others of a much darker color.
The same variation is evident with regard to the
amount of wool on the face and cheeks, some hav-
ing more wool on these parts than others. The
typical Oxford, however, has a heavy bunch of
wool standing out prominently on the forehead
between the eyes. Many have a little white spot
on the end of the nose. The head is large but not
coarse; broad over the poll with a much larger
ear than the Shropshire. The body is well propor-
tioned and carries out its width particularly well
at the rear. The wool is long and somewhat
coarse, and is often lacking in density. Some,
however, possess a shorter, finer, and denser fleece
than others. The size of this sheep and its heavy
shearing quality have made it popular in America.
Oxford rams have been extensively and success-
fully used for crossing on ordinary native and
western ewes to improve the size and wool pro-
duction.
 

 

 

 

 

Piate 81. A good, typical pair of Oxfords, Champion Oxford ram,
winner of many prizes. Champion Oxford ewe at the International,
1910. Both sheeptshown by George Mc Kerrow, Pewaukee, Wis.
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 257

SCALE OF POINTS FOR OXFORD DOWN SHEEP.

IN FOUR DIVISIONS.

Breed type ri : z : 7
Constitution

Mutton form and quality:

Wool

SUB-DIVISIONS.

BREED TYPE FOR ANIMALS.

Form of a good general appearance, made by a well balanced
conformation, free from coarseness in any part, and showing
good style both at rest and in motion

Head of moderate length and width between the ears ad babweda
the eyes, and well covered with wool over poll and down to the
eyes. Color of face an even dark gray or brown, either with or
without gray spot on tip of nose

When fully matured and in good condition Rams should weigh 250
to 350 Ibs., Ewes, 180 to 275 lbs. ‘

Ears medium size, not too thick and of an even biown or dark graye
color

Legs short, strong in bones flat and of even dark gray or browii
color, placed squarely under the body and well apart

CONSTITUTION.

Large around the heart and wide and full in the chest

The movement must be bold and vigorous

Eyes bold, prominent and bright

Skin bright pink in color

Neck strong and muscular in rams “and well set on in both sexes

MUTTON FORM AND QUALITY.

Wide and straight on top of shoulders, back, loin and rump, from
base of neck to tail

Full shoulders and thighs, all meated both inside and outside

Flanks well filled and strong so as to make the lower lines of the
body as straight as possible, and side lines straight or rather full

The whole carcass evenly covered with good, well marbled meat

WOOL.

Fleece of moderate length, close and of even quality, covering the
whole carcass, well and free from black patches upon the body,
neck or head . . fs - i

Total F ‘ ‘ . . i : % ‘ f a
17

15

100
258 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.
THE HAMPSHIRE.

Twelve or fifteen years ago this breed was not
found in very great numbers, but in late years it
has become quite popular in this country, espe-
cially in the western states. It is a large sheep
about the equal in weight of the Oxford. The
lambs mature early, since they are large at birth,
and are forced ahead by the remarkable milk
flow of their mothers. Hence their owner is en-
abled to get lambs of the desirable weight and flesh
on the market at the age of from seventy-five to
ninety days, when they command a high price.
The writer has seen lambs of this breed that
weighed twenty-four and twenty-six pounds when
fifteen days old. The Hampshire is also a very
prolific sheep.

The color of the head and legs is preferably a
rich black. The head is somewhat long and the
ears a little drooped. The frame of the body is
long and straight and is covered with short dense
wool, having but little yolk. The wool on the head
usually extends a little beyond the eyes and cheeks,
forming, as it is called, a “cap.” Little wool is
found on the front legs below the knees, the hind legs
are slightly wooled below the hocks. This breed,
like the Oxford, is used to a great extent for cross-

breeding in the western states.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pirate 82. The Donerail, Kentucky, Walnut§Iall Stud ram, “Britain”
who was never defeated in England orin America. A prize winning
Hampshire yearling ewe in England and America. Courtesy
F. Babbage, London, England.
260 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR HAMPSHIRE SHEEP.
HEAD AND LEGS.

Head—Moderately large, but not coarse; well covered with wool on
forehead and cheeks.

Nostrils— Wide.

Color (head and legs)—Dark brown or black.

Eyes—Prominent and lustrous.

Ears— Moderately long and thin, and dark brown or black color.

Legs—Well under outside of body, straight, with good size of bone,
black.

NECK, SHOULDERS AND CHEST.

Neck—A regular taper from shoulders to head, without any hollow in
front of shoulders, set high up on body.

Shoulders—Sloping, full, and not higher than the line of back and neck.

Chest—Deep and fullin the heart place, with breast prominent and full.

BODY.
Back—Straight, with full spring of rib.
Loin—Wide and straight, without depression in front of hips. _
Quarters—Long from hips to rump, without sloping, and deep,in
thigh. Broad in hips and rump, with full hams. Inside of thigh full.
SCALE OF POINTS.

Head—Size and shape, 5; ears and eyes, 3; color, 5: legs and feet, 2 15
Neck, shoulders and breast—Neck, 5; shoulders, 10; chest and

breast, 15 a i 30
Body—Back and lading: 15; fib: 5 a e 2 20
Quarters—Length, 10; width, 19 twist, 5 Be 95

Wool—Forehead and cheeks, 2; belly, well covered, ‘3; quality, 5 10

Total. : é . 7 . ‘ fs 3 100
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 261
THE SOUTHDOWN.

This little aristocratic breed is one of the oldest
in history. It is generally called the “gentleman’s
sheep.” The form of the Southdown meets more
nearly with the ideal market requirements than
any other breed. This breed is not as popular as
it should be. In the southern and eastern states,
it is appreciated more than in the middle and
western states. The chief reason for their unpop-
ularity is probably the fact that they do not grow
as large as other breeds and do not shear as
heavy fleeces.

The Southdown, with its excellent mutton form
and qualities, is built low to the ground and has a
very compact, symmetrical form. The hindquar-
ters are very full and deep, carrying meat far down
to the hocks. The head and ears are short, but
attractive. The face and legs should be of a uni-
form gray, or mouse color. The neat body is
wrapped in a rather short, but extremely dense
fleece, with but little yolk in it. Although the
fleece is rather light in weight, they produce the
finest quality of wool, next to the Merino families.
Their small appearance often deceives one as to
their real weight.

Among the many breeds the Southdown, from
the writer’s observation, is the most economical
feeder, as it keeps up the longest in flesh when the
epeuer ‘ORIUG ‘Ud]Y W4oary Aq UMOYS “SMOYS JodIe_ PUB STEP opeys ye
UMOYS JOAdOYM UOIdWeYO puke oZidd ysiy UOM Brey YO ‘oso pue WeI UMOpyyA S poyeojopun uy “Es

 

 

 

 

 
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 263

feed becomes scarce. It is often said that there is
more mutton on a square inch of Southdown than
on any other breed, a fact difficult to dispute. On
the block, the Southdown is hard to beat, for when
dressed, it shows a beautiful marbling or mixture
of fat and lean meat.

STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR SOUTHDOWN SITEEP.

Head medium in size and hornless, fine, carried well up, the forehead
or face well covered with wool, especially between the ears and
on the cheeks, and in ewe slightly dished

an

Lips and under jaw fine and thin ‘ iL
ISars rather small, tolerably wide apart, covered with fine hair, and
carried with a lively back and forth movement 2
Eyes full and bright g
Face a uniform tint of brown's t or gray. or mouse color 3
Neck short, fine at the head, but nicely tapering, and bread aid
straight on top at the shoulders . 4
Shoulders broad and full, smoothly joining the neck with the back 2
Breast wide, deep and projecting well forward, the fore:egs standing
wide apart . 5 5
Back and loin broad andl stiaignt from shoulder to rump ‘Z
Ribs well arched extending far backward, the last projecting more
than the others a 6
Rump broad. square and full, with tail well set up. 6
Hips wide. with little space between them and last ribs 6
Thighs full and well let down in twist, the legs standing weil apart 6
Limbs short and fine in bone, and in color lo agree with the face 3
Forelegs well wooled and carrving mutton to the knees, but free from
meat below 2
Jind legs well filled with muLlton and wodled to ihe hocks, neat and
clean below 2
Belly straight and covered with wool, the flank extending so as to
form a line parallel with the back or top line r 5
Fleece compact, the whole body well covered with moderately long
and close wool white in color, carrying some yolk 12
Form throughout smooth and symmetrical, with no coarseness in
any part . 9
General appearance apie’ and attractive, with a determined
look, a proud and firm step, indicating constitutional vigor and
8

thorough breeding

Total ; i 3 ‘ i 100
“YIOK MIN ‘AZBYD
“WIR WSO Sqrwsayy Aq uMoyYs ‘OIG ‘[EUOHeUIEJUT 9Y2 YY quiey ae pue Wes yaSI0g ezd 4ST “Fe ALVIgG

 

 
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 265

THE DORSET HORN.

This breed is one of the medium wools originat-
ing in Dorsetshire, England, and is used to a great
extent in the production of winter, or so-called
“hot-house” lambs which are marketed generally
between Christmas and Easter or even later. In
the writer’s experience, there is no other breed
more profitable for early lamb production, where
there is a good market for them. The Dorset can
be bred almost any time in the year and if desired
often produces two crops of lambs in one year.
It is very prolific and is an extremely heavy, rich
milker. It is a rather large, round-bodicd sheep
with strong legs and bone. Both sexes have horns,
those of the ram being larger and more twisted
than those of the ewe.

The color of the head, face, and legs is white.
No black or other color should be found on it,
not even on the hoofs. IJtis fairly short in the legs,
and the body is of great length. The fleece is of
fine quality, of medium length, very white in color,
and has little yolk. The skin is, perhaps, of a
pinker color than can be found on any other breed

of sheep.
266 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

SCALE OF POINTS FOR DORSET HORN SHEEP.

Head.—Neat, face white, nostrils large, well covered on crown and
under jaws with wool

Horns.—Small and gracefully curving forward rather close to jaw
Eyes.—Prominent and bright
Ears.—Medium size covered with short white hair

Neck.—Short, symmetrical, strongly set on shoulders, gradually
tapering to junction of head

Showders.—Broad and full, joining neck forward and chine back-
ward with no depression at either point, (important)

Brisket.— Wide and full. forward, chest full and deep
Fore Flank.—Quite full, showing little depression behind shoulder

Back and loin.— Wide and straight, from which ribs should spring
with a fine, circular arch

Quarters.— Wide and full, with mutton extending down to hocks

Relly.—Straight on under line

Fleece.—Medium grade, of even quality presenting a smooth surface
and extending over belly and well down on legs

General conformation.—Of the mutton type, body moderately long:
short, stout legs, placed squarely under body, skin pink, appear-
ance attractive .

Total

n

N wn

ra
a a

max

 

100
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 267
THE CHEVIOT.

The Cheviot breed of sheep has been well-known
in Scotland for more than two hundred years. It
is considered in that country as a mountain sheep,

 

 

 

 

Piare 85. Cheviot ram lamb winning first prize at the International
1910; shown by F. L. Postle and Son, Ohio.
for no hill seems too high for it to climb. It is
very hardy, alert and active. Its appearance and
movement are very attractive. It is best suited for
rough, hilly land, which cannot be utilized for
other farm animals. In the writer’s observation,
it thrives far better on hilly land than on the lower

bottom land.
268 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

This breed is characterized by its blocky form,
and by a fairly dense wool of good length. As a
rule, it is somewhat sharp over the shoulders, but
has a broad back, with good full hindquarters.

The head is short with a clean-cut, white face. The

 

 

 

 

 

Prare 86. A very typical Cheviot ewe owned by the University of
Wisconsin.
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 269

nose is black and the eye prominent. Black spots,
which are not objectionable, are often found on
the ears. The ears are carried more erect than
those of any other breed. The legs are fine-boned.
The front legs are round, the hind legs are flat.
The hoofs are black. The wool grows up close to
the ears, forming a high crest, but from there on
forward to the head and face no wool, only hair,
should be seen. There should be no mixture of
red hairs on the head, ears, or legs of the Cheviot.
The rams are allowed to have horns not exceeding
one inch in length.
270 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

STANDARD AND SCALE OF POINTS FOR JUDGING CHEVIOT

SHEEP.

General conformation and quality—Deep and ful! breast and large
through chest. Back: wide and straight with well sprung,
deep ribs, legs well placed and leg of mutton full and thick. Body
well fleshed, skin pink with no blue or dark coloring, fleece compact
and medium fine, bone strong and fine, general appearance grace-
ful, symmetrical. active

Size—In good flesh when fully mataced a twenty-four months’ old
ram should weigh not less than 225 lbs., and a ewe not less than
150 lbs.

Head—Should be medium short and broad with ample breadth
between the eyes. Ears should be of medium length and usually
erect when at repose. Head covered with clear white hairs, ex-
tending from nostrils to back of poll. Ridge of head from be-
tween eyes to nostrils straight or slightly arched with females
and more strongly arched or Roman with rams. Color of tip
of nose black

Body—Well proportioned. having notable depth, with thickness on
top and at flanks. Loins should be very broad and thick,
shoulders should set well back and be smoothly covered, and
crops be full and well arched. The rump should be long, broad
and level

Legs—Should be short, well set apart and be covered with clean
white hair with no wool below hocks and knees. The hind
legs should be flat and deep below hocks. Pasterns should be
strong and not show weakness, supporting the body well.

Feet—Symmetrical, squarely placed when in repose and hoofs black
in color

Fleece—Should cover the body completely to behind the poll anid
ears and down to knees and hocks. Under part of the body
should be well covered. In mature animals should be not less
than three inches long for annual growth and be compact and of
medium wool class. Rams should shear at least 12 pounds and
ewes 8 when in mature form to be desirable representatives of
the breed , 2 5 5 ,

OBJECTIONS.

20

10

15

20

10

20

Scurs on the head, black spots on the head. flesh colored or spotted
skin about the nostrils, hair about the thighs or kemp on the body,
reddish or sandy hair on head or legs, lack of wool on under part of body.

Disqualifications—AIl male lambs shall be ineligible to registration,

if having scyrs or horns exceeding one inch in length,
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 271
THE SUFFOLK.

This breed belongs to the middle wools. It is
a large-framed sheep with rather long legs. The
body is round in form, and very lengthy. The head
is large, the face very black, and the ears long and

 

 

 

 

 

Prare 87. Champion Suffolk ram at English shows. Courtesy of
Suffolk Sheep Society, E. M. Prentice, Secretary; Ipswich,
England.
black. The fine-boned, black legs are bare of
wool below the knees and hocks. The wool is
short, but dense. The head from the ears forward
is entirely bare of wool like that of the Cheviot.
The skin is pink in color and the wool is a little
grayish white. The Suffolk is known as a very
hardy breed, although it is not very popular in this
272 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

country. In Canada there are a number of flocks
of this breed. At the English fat stock shows,
Suffolk fat lambs in competition with many other
breeds have often won the grand championship
prize.

 

 

 

PLate 88. Champion flock of Suffolk ewes. Courtesy of Suffolk Sheep
Society, E. M. Prentice, Secretary; Ipswich, England.
Classificalton of Breeds of Sheep. 2

SCALE OF POINTS FOR SUFFOLK SHEFP.

Head.—Hornless: Face black and long, and muzzle moderately
fine—especially in ewes. (A small quantity of clean white wool
on the forehead not objected to). Ears, a medium length, black
and fine texture. Eyes, bright and full

Neck.—Moderate length and well set
(In rams stronger, with a good crest).

Shoulder.—Broad and oblique

Chest.—Deep and wide

Back and loin—Long, level, and well covered with meat and muscle;
Tail broad and well scl up. The ribs long and well sprung, with
a full flank :

Legs and feet.—Straight and black, with fine and flat bone.
Woolled to knees and hocks, clean below. Fore legs set well
apart. Hind legs well filled with mutton ‘

Belly (also scrotum of rams.)—Well covered with wool

Fleece—Moderately short; close fine fibre without tendency to
mat or felt together, and well defined, i.e., not shading off into
dark wool or hair

Skin.—Fine, soft, and pink color

Total

18

73

tw
now
274 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

THE TUNIS.

This is a breed not yet very well known in this
country, its native home being northern Africa.
It is often called the fat tailed sheep. The breed

 

 

 

 

 

Pirate 89. Champion Tunis ram, Ohio State Fair, 1915. Property
of Frank Hartman, Indiana.

is claimed to be an early lamb producer, similar
to the Dorset. The Tunis is of medium size, has
a fairly long fleece, either white, brown, or even
grayish in color. On the long and rather narrow
head, there is not much wool. The ears are heavy
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 275

and long and droop forward. The color of the face
and legs is often a speckled brown or white. The
legs are small in bone and in most cases free from
wool below the knees and hocks. Up to this time,
but few men have engaged in raising this breed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pxiate 90. Champion Tunis ewe, shown by Raymond Hays, Indiana.
276 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

SCALE OF POINTS FOR TUNIS SHEEP.

Blood.—Imported from Tunis or a perfect line of ancestors extending
hack to the flock owned and bred by Judge Richard Peters, of
Pennsylvania .

Constitulion. [Healthful eountenanee: lively look, head erect Geen
chest, ribs well arched, round body with good length; strong,
straight back, muscles fine and firm

Fleece.—Medium length, medium quality, meditin Guantiey: “eélok
white, sometimes tinctured with gray; evenness throughout

Covering.—Body and neck well covered with wool; legs bare, or
slightly covered; face tree of wool and covered with fine hair

IF'orm.—Body straight, broad and well proportioned; small bone;
breast wide and prominent in front; tail should be docked short

Tlead.—Small and hornless, or nearly so, tapering to end of nose; face
and nose clean, in color, brown and white; cars broad, pendulous,
and covered with fine hair, in color, brown to white 7

Neck.—Medium in length, well placed on shoulders, small and
tapering

Legs.—Short; color hrown and white: wooed below the knee AGE
objectionable

Size-—In fair condition when fully matured rams should eink
150 pounds and upward; ewes, 120 pounds and upward ‘

General Appearance.—Good carriage; head well up; quick, elastic
movements, showing symmetry of form and uniformity of char-
acter throughout

Tota

20

15

10

10

6

100
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 277

THE COTSWOLD.

A typical Cotswold is a big-framed, tall sheep,
stylish in appearance. The color of the face, ears,
and legs is white or white mixed with some brown.
The wool extends over the poll of the head, and
hangs in ringlets or locks of varying lengths down
over the face, covering it almost entirely. All over
the body the wool hangs in long wavy curls, a
characteristic of this breed not found as much in
the other long wools. The wool on the hindquar-
ters is often somewhat hairy. However, the fleece
as a whole is nice and bright, and since it does
not contain a great deal of yolk, there is not much
shrinkage when it is washed, and it therefore sells
well. As a rule, the Cotswold has a very straight
back of good handling quality. Strong bone and
masculinity characterize this breed.
 

‘spunod ¢¢Z omMo ‘spunod Ogg poysIOM wey “UOHoIG “[[Roryouy ‘tosoy “y “4 Aq p
pue polg “C6 “UONIsOdxs] oylokg BUTeUR, OY} JB OM PUR WR

 

JUNO

  

A uoidueyo publi “TG ALVIg

Lip,

 

 

 

 

 
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 279

STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE AND SCALE OF POINTS FOR
COTSWOLD RAM.

Ram—Head not too fine, moderately small and broad betw2en the
eyes and nostrils, but without a short, thick appearance, and in
young animals well covered on the crown with long. lustrous wool 8

Face either white or slightly mixed with gray, or white dappled
with brown

Nostrils wide and expanded: nose dark

Eyes prominent but mild Jooking

Ears broad, long, moderately thin and eouersa with shiert bikie i

Collar full from breast and shoulders, tapering gradually al] the
way to where the neck and head join. The neck should be short,
thick and strong, indicating constitutional vigor, and free from
coarse and loose skin , ' 6

Shoulders broad and full, and at the same time join so gradually
to the collar forward and chine backward as not to leave the
least hollow in either place 8

Fore legs—The mutton on the arm or fore thigh should come quite
to the knee. Leg upright with heavy bone, being clear from
superfluous skin, with wool to fetlock, and may be mixed with

Swe Ss

gray 4
Breast broad siati- eit forward, eepine’ the ‘lews wide apart; girth
or chest, full and deep 10

a

Fore flank quite full, not showing hollow behind the shoulders

Back and loin broad, flat and straight, from which the ribs must
spring with a fine circular arch i ‘i 1

Belly straight on underline

Quarters long and full, with mutton quite down to the hock

Hock should stand neither in nor out ‘

Twist or junction inside the thighs, deep, wide ana full, which,
with a broad breast, will keep the legs open and upright 5

Fleece—The whole body should be covered with long lustrous wool 18

Total . . 7 ‘ 5 r * 7 : 100

Wwowlh
280 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE AND SCALE OF POINTS FOR

COTSWOLD EWE.

Ewe—Head moderately fine, broad between the eyes and nostrils,
but without a short, thick appearance, and well covered on crown
with long, lustrous wool

Face either white or slightly mixed with gray, or white aaah with
brown . ‘ ¥

Nostrils wide and expanded; nose dark

Eyes prominent but mild looking

Ears broad, long, moderately thin. and covered with short hair

Collar full from breast and shoulders, tapering gradually all the
way to where the neck and head join; the neck should be fine and
graceful, and free from coarse and loose skin

Shoulders broad and full, and at the same time join so gradually to
the collar forward and chine backward as not to leave the least
hollow in either place : :

Fore legs—The mutton on the arm or fore thigh should come quile
to the knee; leg upright with heavy bone, being clear from super-
fluous skin, with wool to fetlock, and may be mixed with gray

Breast broad and well forward, keeping the legs wide apart; girth
or chest, full and deep <

Fore flank quite full, not showing hollow behind the shoulder

Back and loin broad, flat and straight, from which the ribs must
spring with a fine circular arch 7

Belly straight on underline ‘

Quarters long and full, with mutton quite down to the hock

Hock should stand neither in nor out + 5

Twist or junction inside the thighs, deep, wide and full, which, with
a broad breast, will keep the legs open and upright z

Fleece—The whole body should he covered with long, lustrous wool

awe oe

oomwt

we

=

5
18

Total

100
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 281

THE LINCOLN.

The Lincoln is shorter and more compactly built
than the Cotswold. The face and legs are white
with an occasional bluish iinge. The back is very
strong and thickly fleshed. The wool is much
longer than that of the Cotswold. It usually parts
on the middle of the back and when full grown
hangs down on each side in long broad locks. The
wool is coarser than that of some of the other long
wool breeds and has small curls at the ends. Often
this breed has locks of wool hanging down over the
face, but these are much shorter than those of the
Cotswold. More often a bushy bunch of wool pro-
jects straight out from the forehead. The Lincoln
shears a heavy fleece because it is very long and
dense and contains considerable yolk. The Lincoln
and Cotswold resemble each other more closely
than any other iwo breecs, and fcr this reason cre
must be familiar with the characteristics of the two
breeds in order to distinguish between them.
“epeuey ‘oeqUOl ao] Joqsop] Aq UMOYS FOIGL [euoLusoquy 947d 7e Que] oMo pue Wed UjoouIy ozid ysuty 76 ALVTg

 

 

 
Classification of Breeds of Sheep.

STANDARD AND SCALE OF POINTS FOR LINCOLN SHEEP.

Constitution.—Body deep, back wide and straight; wide and full
in the thigh; bright, large eyes; skin soft and of a pink color

Size.—Matured rams not less than 250 pounds when in good con-
dition. Matured ewes not less than 200 pounds

Appearance.—Good carriage and symmetry of form

Body.—Well proportioned, good bone and length: broad hind
quarters; legs standing well sant breast wide and deep

Head.—Should be covered with wool to the ears; tuft on forehead;
eyes expressive; ears fair length: dotted or mottled in color

Neck.—Medium length; good muscle; well set on hody

Legs.—Broad and set well apart; good shape; color white, but some
black spots do not disqualify; wooled lo the knees

Fleece.—Of even length and quality over body; not less than eight
inches long for one year’s growth

Quality of Wool.—Rather fine, long wool; strong, lustrous fiber; no
tendency to cot

Total

Ww
on

10

5

10

10

5

100
 

 

 

shown by Whitlaw Bros.; Ontario,

1910;

ester ram and ewe lamb at the International,

 

First prize Lei

EOS.

PLATE

Canada.
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 285

THE LEICESTER.

There is no difficulty in distinguishing this breed
from any of the other long wools. The head is
longer and somewhat narrower than the others.
They have a tendency toward a Roman nose. This
breed like the Cheviot and the Suffolk is absolutely
bare of wool from the ears forward. The Leicester
has a broad, well-fleshed back, but is generally
shallower in body than the other long wools. That
this breed has a more leggy appearance than the
Cotswold or the Lincoln may be attributed to the
fact that its wool is shorter, finer, and lighter over
the body, especially on the belly. It is also finer
in bone than the other two breeds. The fleece
hangs in locks with small fine curls at the ends.
286 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.
THE ROMNEY MARSH OR KENT.

This breed of sheep was probably first developed
in Kent County, England, from stock which came
originally from the Low Countries. A few small
flocks have been imported to the United States

 

WR

ro ele

 

 

 

 

PiLare 94. First prize and champion Romney Marsh ram exhibited
by Alfred Mathews, New Zealand, al the Panama Pacific Exposition,
1915. Courtesy of the American Sheep Breeder.

This breed has a strong masculine head, a short,
strong neck, a wide deep chest, and is level along
its back. It has a good spring of ribs, and is par-
licularly full in the hindquarters. The fleece is of
good length, but is not as long as that of the Lin-
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 287

coln. It is fairly dense and lustrous. It is desir-
able in this breed that the wool should open
evenly, that is, there should be no cross fibers hold-
ing the locks together when the wool is parted.

 

 

 

 

PLaTe 95. First prize and champion Romney Marsh ewe exhibited
by W. Riddel, Jr., of Oregon, at the Panama Pacific Exposition, 1915.
Courtesy of the American)Sheep Breeder.

This sheep has style, carries its head well up, and
makes a good impression in general.

THE BLACK-FACED HIGHLAND.

This breed has its native home in Scottand where
it thrives among the Scotch mountains. This is a
horned sheep, the ram having much larger horns
than the ewe. The color of the face varies from
288 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

black, to black and white speckled, many having a
big white star on the forehead. The legs are short,
carrying a blocky, well-proportioned body. The
wool on this breed is very long, hanging nearly to
the ground when of a full year’s growth. The fleece

 

 

 

 

Piate 96. First prize and champion Blackfaced Highland ram at
the Scottish Shows, 1909. Courtesy of the American Sheep Breeder.

is very coarse in fiber, however, and is generally
used for the same purpose as that of the other long
wool breeds; namely, the manufacture of the
coarser kinds of woolen goods such as carpets or
rugs. This breed has a very strong and robust con-
stitution, which is necessary because of its native
environment in the mountains. The Black-faced
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 289

Highland is often used for crossing with other
breeds. When coming down the mountains, one
trailing behind the other in a narrow path, a flock

of this breed is a most beautiful sight.

THE CORRIEDALE.

The Corriedale sheep is a native of New Zealand.
In the production and character of the breed as
seen today, the breeders of that country mated
Lincoln, Romney Marsh, and Leicester rams with
Merino ewes. By careful selection of the rams
used in crossing, the New Zealand breeder has pro-
duced a breed of sheep which not only shears a
very good grade of wool, but also has a good mutton
form. Today the Corriedale is a recognized breed
and it is considered by the New Zealand breeders
as nearly an ideal dual purpose sheep as can be found.
Within the last few years small flocks of this breed
have been imported to the United States. There
were three exhibits of Corriedales al the Panama
Pacific Exposition in 1915, and they were greatly
admired by those who had never seen this sheep
before. The accompanying illustration shows a
Corriedale ram and ewe shown by King Bros. of
Laramie, Wyoming.

19
 

 

 

 

 

ic

g. at the Panama Pacif

ourtesy of the American Sheep Breeder.

varamie, Wyomin

g Bros., I

Kin

y I

<
z
xo
n
S
~
a
fon
iG
oD
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2
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a
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 291

OTHER LONG AND MEDIUM WOOLS.

There are a number of long and medium wool
breeds which, so far as the writer knows, are not
raised in America. At the great Royal Show in
England other breeds raised in Fngland and Scotland
are seen which are unknown to the American shep-
herd. Among these breeds are found the Wensley-
dale; the Devon Long Wool; the Border Leicester,
which is becoming very popular in New Zealand also;
the South Devon, having characteristics very similar
to the Devon Long Wool; the Herdwick; the Exmoor;
the Ryeland, which in the writer’s opinion is a very
useful breed and undoubtedly would make a good
cross on common western range ewes; the Ros-
common; the Dartmoor, which is especially adapted
to poor, hilly country; the Kerry Hill, and the
Welsh breed. It is surprising how many different
breeds of the long and medium wools are raised in
Great Britain. There every flockowner carefully
selects a breed suitable to the laying of his land and
other conditions. As these men are thoroughly
familiar with sheep husbandry, they have, as a rule,
great success with their chosen breed.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Piate 98. The high class American Merino stock ram General G owned
by W. M. Staley, Marysville, O. is shown above; a prize winning
ewe, below. Courtesy American Sheep Breeder.
Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 293

THE AMERICAN MERINO.

‘This breed originates from Spain, and as nearly
as can be ascertained the first importation into this
country was made in 1801. It is primarily a wool
sheep, the wool being of the finest quality and con-
taining a large amount of yolk. The fleece is so
dense that it sheds water, which adds greatly to the
sheep’s extreme hardiness. The whole body from
the nose down to the hocks is wrinkled. A heavy
shearing is thus made possible by the many extra
folds, the density of the wool and the great amount
of yolk. Rams of this breed in one year’s growth
have produced fleeces from thirty-five to forty
pounds. Wool covers this sheep from the nose
to the feet. The color of the face, legs and ears is
white. The rams have horns. In judging this
breed at fairs, the quality and quantity of wool is
the chief consideration. Only sufficient constitution
and stamina are required to secure vigor. At the
present time we do not find the American Merino
exhibited at all of the state and county fairs.
“Iopoorg daays

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Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 295

THE DELAINE MERINO.

The Delaine Merino has the same color of face
and legs as the American. This breed differs from
the first mentioned in general appearance, as it
has not nearly so many wrinkles, having them only
around its neck and breast, and some about the
tail head. The fleece is generally not quite so
dense, but a little longer and likewise of very
good quality. Its form is usually better than that
of the American, as it has a broader back and
hindquarters. This breed is only considered as a
wool sheep, but its appearance is more pleasing to
the eye than that of the American.

The American and Delaine Merinos when shown
together are often grouped into three types; A, B,
and C. The A class has wrinkles all over the body;
the B has wrinkles only around the neck and
breast; while the C type is practically a smooth
bodied sheep, having but one fold or wrinkle fol-
lowing the throat to the brisket where it joins an-
other small semicircular fold.
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Classification of Breeds of Sheep. 297

THE RAMBOUILLET.

The Rambouillet is the largest and _ biggest
framed of all the fine wool sheep. In this breed
attention is paid not only to wool but to mutton as
well. This sheep, which originated in France, has
been so much improved in mutton form by careful
breeding that it now compares fairly well with
other mutton breeds. Breeders rate it as a dual
purpose sheep, wool and mutton combined, and
expect the judges at fairs in making the awards to
allow fifty per cent for wool and type, and fifty
per cent for mutton form.

The color of the face and legs is white, and the
wool usually extends, like that of the Shropshire,
from nose to toes. The fleece is dense, and of good
quality, having perhaps less yolk than the other
Merinos. They vary some in wrinkledress; some
have larger folds on the neck and breast than
others; and there is also some variation in the
length and density of the wool. At the recent
shows, two classes of Rambouillet sheep have been
made, the B and the C types. The fine wool breeds
must be given the credit of being the hardiest of
all the breeds.
298 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

GRADES OF SHEEP ON OUR AMERICAN MARKETS.

The sheep market in America is divided into
many different classes and grades. The wealthier
consumers of mutton and lamb wish to get the
choicest kind, regardiess of the price, and this forces
the firms to grade the live consignments into so
many grades. This is in the favor of the producer.
The one who has a choice lot of sheep or lambs is
entitled to a higher price than the one who brings
unfinished stuff to market, because he saved his
feed, or perhaps did not have any. The breeding of
the sheep which come to market makes a marked
difference also. Sheep or lambs well bred, possessing
a good mutton form, and furnishing many high price
cuts, put on meat easy at a smaller cost and bring
the highest prices. Today, the producer and shipper
receive the price on the market according to the
rating of their offerings. A lot which can be rated
as prime or choice is much in favor, and a premium
is paid for such a class. In all cases sheep do not
bring as high prices as lambs. From all the sheep
annually sent to market for slaughter about 75 per
cent are lambs. Since buyers at the markets are
always searching for the best and well finished classes
of all grades, the breeder and feeder should aim to
fulfill their requirements.
Classification of the Breeds of Sheep. 299

They are graded in the following manner:

MUTTON SHEEP (Moslly Westerns).

FSocsmmere | weight from 70-80 lbs.
Choice—weight from 75-85 lbs.

 

Lambs. .......... Good.
Medium.
Common or Culls.
lees weight from 90-95 lbs.
VeelineS na: ea from 100-110 lbs.
Aredia
Prime—handy weight from 105-110 lbs.
Weihers.. .... ewes from 110-125 lbs.
ees
Choice—weight from 95-110 lbs.
Ewes. ..... ....,;Good.

Medium.

[Ghoice—weigh weight from 90-95 Ibs.
ech. or Culls.

Backs ana [Goode from 150-185 lbs.

Slags Common.

FEEDER CLASSES (Mostly Westerns).

Choice—

Good form and condition weighing from 55-60 lbs.
Good—

Fair condition weighing from 60-65 lbs.
Common—
| In thin condition.

Good form and quality weighing from 85-90 lbs.
Good—

Fair in form and condition weighing 80-85 lbs.
Common—

Thin in condition and fair in form.

Choice—

Yearlings...... |
300 Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

Choice—
coeed quality and condition weighing 95-100 Ibs.
, ; ood— ‘
Wethers.. . .. .. Fair in quality and condition weighing 90-95 lbs.
Common—
Poor in flesh.

{ Choice—
| Good condition and form (young) weighing
85-95 Ibs.
Ewes Good—
(Westerns) Fair condition and form (young) weighing
80-90 Ibs.
Common—
Thin (old).

BREEDING CLASSES.

{ Choice—

Young 2-5 years old.
Good—

3-4 years old.
Common—

5 years old.

|
Ewes... “|

Hot-House lambs for Christmas or Easter trade
Fancy selected—weighing from 12-45 lbs.
Choice—weighing from 45-50 Ibs.
INDEX

Abortion, due to frozen or mouldy
feed, 35
due to narrow doors. 37
Age, how to determine, 27
Age of ram to use, 9
Age of sheep to feed, 146
Alfalfa may cause bloat, 120
Alfalfa hay, 36
for fattening sheep,
161
American Alerino, description of,
293.

Barb wire, dangers from broken, 21
Barley for fattening, 159
Barn for sheep in winter, 37
Bean straw for fattening, 161
Beet pulp, dried, for fattening, 158
wet, for fattening, 163
Black-faced Highland, description
of, 287
Blanketing show sheep, 192
Blindness due to cold wind, 43
Bloat in sheep, 120
remedy for, 121
Block winners, selecting, 214
Blue grass hay, 36
Border Leicester, 291
Bran for fattening, 159
Breed, value of, in the flock, 4
Breeding the ewes, li
Breeding class, market grades of,
300
selection for, 181
Breeds of sheep, 249
American Merino, 293
Black-faced Highland, 287
Border Leicester, 291
Cheviot, 267
Corriedale, 289
Cotswold, 277
Dartmoor, 291
Delaine Merino, 295

 

Breeds of sheep—Cont.
Devon Long Wool, 291
Dorset Horn, 265
Exmoor, 291
Hampshire, 258
Terdwick, 291
Kerry Hill, 291
Leicester, 285
Lincoln, 281
Oxford, 255
Rambouillet, 297
Romney Marsh, 286
Roscommon, 291
Ryeland, 291
Shropshire, 251
South Devon, 291
Southdown, 261
Suffolk, 271
Tunis, 274
Welsh, 291
Wensleydale, 291

Burdocks and sandburs, 140

Cabbage for fall and winter feed-
ing, 133
Caked udders, 58
Carcass, prize winning, 218
Carrying small sheep and lambs,
23
Castrating lambs, 75
Catching the sheep, 21
Cheviot, description of, 267
scale of points of, 270
Chilled lambs, 50
Cleanliness, value of, 150
Clippers for trimming feet, 102
Clover hay, 36
for fattening sheep,
161
Clover pasture may cause bloat
120
Colic, or “‘stretches,”’ 124
Coloring show sheep, 192

(301)
302 Sheep Alanagement, Breeds and Judging.

Constipation in lambs, 50
Corn for fattening, 158
Corn fodder, 36
Corn silage, see Silage
Corriedale, description of, 289
Cotswold, description of, 277
scale of points of ram,
279
scale of points of ewe,
280
Cotton-seed meal for tattening, 160
Cowpea hay for fattening, 161
Cow’s milk for lambs, 69
Creep, lamb, 65
Culling the ewe flock, 137
Culling the lamb flock, 138

Dead furrows, danger from, 142

Delaine Merino, description of, 295

Devon Long Wool, 291

Dipping, 88, 98

Docking lambs, 77

Dog problem, 3

Doors, danger from narrow, 37

Dorset ewes, care of, 171

Dorset Horn, description of, 265

scale of points of, 266

Dorset Horns for winter lambs,
170

Drainage, importance of, for sheep
barn, 37

Drenching sheep, 113

Dried beet pulp for fattening, 158

Drying up ewes, 86

Ear label, 72
Emmer for fattening, 160
Ewe flock, the, 17
Ewes, assisting in lambing, 52
care of, at breeding time,
139
care of newly lambed, 51
care of, afler weaning, 84
culling the, 137
drying up the, 86
exercise for, in winter, 39, 44
feed for, after lambing, 57
flushing out, after lambing,
57

 

Ewes—Cont.
flushing the, 134
gestation, period of, 43
grade or pure-bred, 17
grain for, in winter, 33
number of, to one ram, 15
shearing before or after
lambing, 96
succulent feeds for, 34
tagging, at lambing time, 59
time to breed, 139
time to breed lambs, 18
Examining the teeth, 27
Exercise. importance of,
for ewes. 39, 44
for show sheep, 185, 210
little for fattening sheep,
155
Exmoor, 291

Fairs, judging sheep at, 221
Fattening, age of sheep to feed for,
146

for market, 145
grain for, 158
principles of, 149
roughages for, 160
shelter necessary
157
succulent feeds for, 161
Fat wethers. see Wethers
Feeders, age of, 146
market grades of, 299
selection of, 147
Feed for ewe after lambing, 57
Feed for the ram, 16
Feeding for market, 145
Feeding, order of, 153
principles of, 149
Feet trimming, 100
Field peas for fattening, 160
Field peas, grazing on, 161
Fitting breeding class,
start, 183
Fitting sheep for show ring, 177
Fitling wethers for shows, 197
Fleece, tying up the, 93
Flock, establishing the, 1
management of the, 19
small, for beginners, 2

for,

time to
Index. 303

Flushing out the ewe after lamb-
ing, 57
Flushing the ewes, 134
Foot-rot, 102
Founder, danger of, 211-213
remedy for, 214
Full mouth, 31

Gentleness, importance of, 149
Gestation period of ewes, 43
Goiter on lambs, 87
Grading up flock, 5
Grain for ewes in winter, 33

fattening, 158

the ram, 16

young lambs, 68
Grain trough for lambs, 67

old sheep, 67
Grub in the head, 116
prevention, 118

Hampshire, description of, 258
scale of points of, 260

Hand coupling, 11
Hand feeding or self-feeders, 157
Hay, alfalfa, 36

blue grass, 36

clover, 36

marsh, 36

timothy, 36
Hay for fattening, 16)
Hay rack, 67
Heat of ewes, time, 13
Herdwick, 291

Inflammation of the eyes, 43
udder. 58

Judging sheep at fairs, 221
in the classroom,
221

on the farm, 221
few fitted to judge, 224
general directions for, 225
method of handling in, 229
ram classes, 228
the back, 238

 

Judging sheep—Cont
the chest, 235
the fleece and skin, 245
the head, 230
the heart girth, 236
the leg of mutton, 243
the Join, 239
the neck, 232
the rump, 240
the shoulder vein, 235
the twist, 242
the wool, 247
Judgment in feeding, 154

Labor required by sheep, 1
Lamb, almost lifeless, reviving, 49
chilled, 50
ram, using for breeding, 9
Lamb creep, 65
Lambing, assisting the ewe in, 52
Lambing pens, 39
Lambing time, 45
Lambs, adopted, 51
weak, 48
castrating, 75
cow’s milk for, 69
culling the, 138
disowned, 48
docking, 77
feed for young, 61
goiter on, 87
grain for young, 68
grain trough for, 67
make best gains, 146
market grades of, 299
marking, 72
raising by hand, 70, 71
selecting the good, 64
time to breed ewe, 18
weaning, 83
when to market, 164
winter, 167
Leading the sheep, 23
Legume hay for fattening, 161
Leicester, description of, 285
Lice, 98
Lifeless lamb, reviving, 49
Lifting small sheep, 23
304. Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

Lincoln, description of, 281
scale of points of, 283
Linseed meal for fattening, 160
Lips, opening the, to determine
age, 30

Maggots, 125
cause, 128
prevention, 128
treatment, 129
Mangels dangerous to rams and
wethers, 133
Manure, value of sheep, 2
Market grades of sheep, 298
breeding classes, 300
feeder classes, 299
hot-house lambs, 300
mutton sheep, 299
Market, time to, 164
Marking lambs, 72
Marsh hay, poor for sheep, 36, 161
Medicine, administering, 113
Medicines helpful to the flock-
master, 123
Milk, cow’s, for young lambs, 69
Mutton sheep, market grades of,
299
scale of points of,
226

Narrow door, danger from, 37

Oat and pea-hay, 36

Oat hay, 36

Oats for fattening, 158

Oat straw, 36

Overheating, 211

Oxford, description of, 255
scale of poihts of, 257

Parasites, prevention and _ treat-
ment of, 105

Patience, importance of, 149

Pea-cannery refuse, 161

Peas, grazing on field, 161

Pea straw for fattening, 161

Pens, lambing, 39

 

Percentage of lambs,
136

Period of gestation, 43
Pinchers for docking, 80

Points of good ewes, 17

Points of a good ram, 7
Punctuality, value of, 151
Pure-bred ram, importance of, 4

increasing,

Raising lambs, 61
Ram, age to use, 9

care in fall, 11

care in summer, 10

care in winter, 16

feed for, 16

field, for breeding, 9

judging ram classes, 228

number of ewes to one, 15

painting, on brisket, 13

points of a good, 7

saving vitality of, 13

scrub, unprofitable, 4

selection of, 5

show, for breeding, 9

sugar beets and mangels

dangerous for, 17, 133

turning with ewes, 11

using a lamb, 9

value of pure-bred, 4, 7
Rambouillet, description of, 297
Rape, value of, 131
Reducing show sheep, 195
Reviving almost lifeless lambs, 49

chilled lambs, 50

Romney Marsh, description of, 286
Roots, danger from frozen, 36

for cwes, 34

for fall and winter feeding,

133

for fattening, 161
Roscommon, 291
Roughage for winter, 36
Roughages for fattening, 160
Rutabagas for fall and winter

feeding, 133

Ryeland, 291

Salt, necessity of, 139
Sandburs and burdocks, 140
Index.

Scrub ram unprofitable, 4
Setting a sheep on its rump, 25
Self-feeders or hand-feeding, 157
Shearing, 89
Shearing ewes
lambing, 96
Shearing machine, 91
Shearing sheep, cruelty in, 19
Sheep barn, 37
Sheep economical meat producers,
1
Sheep husbandry, advantages of, 2
Sheep to the acre, 144
Shelter for ewes in winter, 41
fattening shcep, 157
show sheep, 194
crowding in cars dan-
gerous, 167
how to feed before, 166
Showing sheep, 177
Show rams for breeding, 9
Show sheep, blanketing, 192
classes of, 180
coloring, 192
feed for, 184
reducing after fairs,
195
shelter for, 194
training for ring, 193
trimming feet of, 195
Shropshire, description of, 251
scale of points of, 254
Silage, corn, danger from mouldy,
35
for ewes, 35
for fattening, 161
frozen, dangerous, 35
Sore sheaths, 125, 211
Sore teats, 59
Sore teeth, 26
South Devon, 291
Southdown, description of, 261
scale of points of, 263

before or after

Shipping,

Soy beans for fattening, 161
Speltz for fattening, 160
Stretches or colic, 124
Succulent feeds for ewes, 34

for fattening, 161

 

305

Suffolk, description of, 271
scale of points of, 273
Sugar beets dangerous to rams and
welhers, 133
Summer feeding and care, 131

Tagging ewes at lambing time, 59
Tank for dipping, 99
Teats, sore, 59
Teeth, age determined by, 27

changes in 31

milk, 29

permanent, 29

sore, 26
Timothy hay poor for sheep, 36,

161
Training sheep fo. show ring, 193
Trimming show sheep, 186
Trimming sheep, a help in, 191
Trimming wether lambs, 216
Trimming the feet, 100
Trimming feet of show sheep, 195
Triplets, 45
Tunis sheep, 171
description of, 274
scale of points of, 276
Turnips for fall and winter feed-
ing, 133

Twin lambs, 45
Twine, paper, 94
Tying up fleece, 93

Udders, caked, 58
inflamed, 58

Weaning the lambs, 83
Weeds, destroyed by sheep, 1
Wensleydale, 291
Wet beet pulp for fattening, 163
Wether Jambs, danger of founder-
ing, 211
fitting, 211
trimming, 216
Wethers, age to show, 202
best class to fit, 203
feeding, 204
fitting for shows, 197
fitting yearling, 206
306

Wethers—Cont.
grain mixture for, 204
points of block winners,
217
selecting block winners,
217
selecting for shows, 200
shearing, 202
sore sheaths, 125
sugar beets and mangels
dangerous for, 133
Wheat for fattening, 160
Wheat screenings for fattening 158

Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging.

Wide doors, necessity of, in barn
37

Winter care of ram, 16

Winter grain for ewe flock. 33

Winter lambs, 167
care of Dorset

ewes, 171

feeding the, 173
profits from, 175

Winter quarters, 37

Winter roughage, 36

Wool box, 96
 

 

 

SS

=a

 

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