The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-03-23
THE SHEEP INTEREST.
A Michigan Mans Ideas.

ASSOCIATION by y. ii. thompson OF
Grand Blanc:
Having made our purchases, let us
study well what there Is of value in 9
tho, oughbred sheep. Then let ms
strive in every cross, in every purchase
and every sale, to build our flock to
cur idea of what constitutes the best
sheep. One of The first points of value
in sheep is constitutions TO obtain this
we must have deep, prominent chest
with broad shoulders; the second point
is form; from the shoulders the back
should be nearly on straight line
back to hips, with a broad bridge or
coupling, with slightly sloping hip; Il
broad tail with nearly straight line
from this point to hook; a broad flank
with straight line from thence TO fore
arm, with two or three neck-tolds. If
folded upon the body, to begin about
midway mp the side aud run well
down under. Head broad between the
eyes, and face where not covered by
wool to be covered with soft, velvety
hair. In short, ] would attain as near
as possible to what breeders of hort
horn cattle call perfect animal.
This form should be covered with
thick, even quality of fine to medium
wool, with staple from two to three
inches in length, with distinct crimp
to the ends of fleece, where protected
from the weather, with even coating
over all; and with cap to come down
about one and one-half inches below
the eye and drop nearly square off !;
fleece to weigh from twelve to twenty
five pounds.
Breeding ewes at maturity should
weigh in good condition, January l
of each year, from 80 to 100 pounds. ]
know of some individual Merino ewes
that weigh 1875 to 1876 pounds each.
From the great wool-producing
States ofthe West and Southwest comes
the report of every dealer and produ-
GER: ave like your Michigan rams.
They are large and strong, and accli.
mate WELL" Michigan grade ewes
stands higher there than most others
for the same reason. Therefore l say
let us look well to this point. Having
described to you my idea of what we
ought to attain in thoroughbred ewes,
l now come to the point hardest to Sc
cure, suitable stock ram. And right
here, let me say, is the stumbling-block
that causes the retrograde movement
OF more flocks than any other one thing
In sheep breeding, if we are not going
ahead, we are going back; we cannot
float along with the tide and keep even.
In selecting stock ram the first point
is to trace his back-breeding, and see
that his sires and dams are all well bred
and good animals, as far back as posi-
BILE, to the first importation if they can
be. Right here comes the value of in
dividnal records of our sheep; it en-
ables us to see what we are doing.
can remember well of being scoffed at
for keeping individual pedigrees of
sheep, before the State registers were
started, and those same gentlemen said
in my presence and the presence of
others, that they cared nothing for a
pedigree of sheep, farther than they
carried upon their backs. Gentlemen,
is not this contrary to all principles of
thoroughbred sheep breeding?
Having given the first important
points OF stock ram, now proceed
to the form. l would duplicate the
form given of middle eve. but with
heavier folds throughout; deeper in
the flank, with tracing folds on the
sides and upon part of his hips; folds
upon the sides should run we'll under
the body, also two or three heavy COL
lar folds running entirely around the
neck the neck should be broad and
masculine from shoulder to horns; the
shoulders in a fully-matured stock
ram should be little prominent or
sharp upon the upper part; fleece at
full growth should be from two to two
and one half inches; even over all
parts of the body, and Of little strong
er or coarser quality than upon the
ewes, with crimp equally distinct and
an equal distribution of oil through all
parts. The weight of a stock ram at
maturity should not be less than $50
pounds, and as much larger as we can
get good prOportiOned animal 1t
has been said that we cannot get an
evenly covered sheep in a large one,
but this | deny. We can produce as
evenly covered and good quality of
fleece as upon the smaller ones; it has
also been said that we cannot bl eed a
fine fleece without slender constitu-
ton; this also deny. We can breed
any nne point to excel or excess, if we
give our attention to that particular
point. But it is very apt to be to the
detriment of others.
Where | believe the most value in a
thoroughbred sheep is to be obtained,
is TO breed sheep combining the
greatest number of points of merit, and
so backed in its breeding that it will
produce itself in form and character
when the blood is intermingled with
another.
We frequently hear men say there is
no stock ram worth S. 900, 800 or $50
to that class | would answer as did the
man when another made the assertion
that he would as soon eat a skunk as
Merino, thoroughbred or grade, for
mutton; the answer was, "Gentlemeu,
that is just as you have been brought
mp" The whole value of stock
sheep depends upon the position of our
tlocks and our ability to make it pay.
A sheep that costs 81 900 for a man
with grade ewes would be folly, but
for a person who has so to 100 thor.