The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-02-24
A hybrid wHAT1sIT.
A Colorado Stock Raiser's Ingenious Cross
Ing Of Breeds-Goat. Mountain
Sheep and Cow.

ing of breeds aSfollows:
81 have been largely-interested in
stock-raising in the southwestern part
Of Colorado for the past seventeen
years, and during the early years of my
experience quantity was u object, as
our. pasturage was abundant, our win
tiers mild, and no trouble from Indians.
I soon increased my herds to five thou
sand sheep and one Thousand two hum
dred head of cows, with their increase,
standing at this for several years. But
during the late years I readily saw that
it was important to improve our stock,
and reduce the quantity. So during
the year I had sent to me from New
York State a few choice Attorney cows
and bulls !; also fine Cashmere goats (of
the male persuasion), all Of which I pro-
ceeded to introduce into my herds i'm
m~ediately. The effect of the goats on
my sheep was almost miraculous, but
my Alderney blood seemed to lose itself
in my Mexican stock. About this time
one of my r~ancheros brought in from
the mountains two young lambs of the
mountain sheep species, or big horns
Of the Rocky mountains. I took all
possible care of them, and soon they
were running about the place, seeming
perfectly domesticated, skipping over
the rocks in the vicinity, also our sta
bles, houses, ETC., with more fearless
bravado than ever our native or domes-
tic goat displays, getting so trouble
some that l had them penned up with
my Cashmere goats, which they ac-
quired a fondness for, and, greatly to
my surprise, when the proper season
came, took to my buck Cashmeres as
did my other sheep flor they were both
ewes), and in the spring following one
dropped twins and the other N a kid,
or lambs, as you please to call them,
and judge of my joyful surprise when 1
discovered in them all the principal
characteristics of the goat. Now Twas
becoming interested, indeed. This
new species of sheep or goats grew rap
idly, and as the season advanced 1 saw
they were going to be considerably lar
ger than either the goat or sheep, which
are both quite large, you know. now
e~ndeavored to keep up the cross, so 1
kept a buck with my two ewes, and in
the spring 1 got two pair twins. The
yearlings had not received the services
of the buck, and they were so trouble
some with the kids that I shut them up
in my corral where 1 had my blooded
AldeIney calves. Leaving home about
this time, and not returning for some
months, 1 Immediately upon my arrival
took the young yearlings past in hand
and attempted to get them served by
one of my bucks, but no go. One of
my men said he had seen the calves
(which were yearlings past) fooling
with the two ewes. l suspected 1
would lose the services of the two
ewes, or that, as in the case with the
other crossed things, as mules, and
geese after being crossed with the wild
geese, the breeding had stopped. But
wonders, as misfortunes, never come
singly. I discovered to my astonish-
ment that they were all right ; you a
guess now of my interest to see the
kids. I almost neglected other things
to take care of these two ewes. The
time expired, as l thought, and no
kids but as 1 could see that they were
well and hearty, l waited patiently, and
one soft morning l found two new ar
rivals. The climax had come. The
little fellows were sprightly as kittens,
but, @ heavens what were they? They
were not lambs they were not goats.
Well, to tell the plain, u%nvarnished
truth, they were another cross. 1t was
now between my Attorneys and the
already hybrids-and twins, too. After
a few days the other came in, and the
same freak of nature had occurred, and
one male calf, kid, or 1amb-the thing
had now gone so far that I dare not say
which. My other two came in all right,
with twins apiece, the same as the
first. I don't pretend to explain the
reasons of the crosses, only this much:
The first crosses were a third larger
than a sheep or goat, which are both
nearly.twice as large as small sheep. I
determined to test the matter to see
whether it was a freak or in the order
of things that they took my bull. So I
shut up, at the proper time, the two
first crosses with my bull, and the re-
suit was they are now carrying their
young. A singular popularity Of the
first cross is that they still have the
long fine hair Of the cashmere goat,
softened down somewhat by the cross
with the mountain sheep. Also, the
headquarters and general shape Except
the horns) Of the Alderney, even
to the udder and spread of hips,
and their teats, are now, at
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