The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-27

Making the Flock seIf-Sustaining-
No Purchase of Ewes From Start
Methods Necessary to Avoid
Dangers From In-Breeding-An
Instructive Essay for the Small
FIcck Master.
correspondent recently wrote the Country
Gentleman asking suggestions as to the
proper methods for the management CT NUT
ton sheep in cases where it was desired TO
maintain the number of ewes started with
and avoid the purchase OF Others. He want
ed to know how to manage a flock to make
1t self-sustainng, at what age the ewes
should be bred, how long they SHOULD be
kept and at what age the male lambs should
be sold. lie indicated that the Shropsh re
was the breed to be kept. The TO Living
are s5me Of the points covered in the reply:
The maintenance Of a flock within itself is
one Of the skilled arts Of the sh pherd. 1t
depends both on the master Of the flock and
the character of the flock itself. The former,
however, is the more important point OF
these tvo requisites for success. Experience
ana scientific reasoning both go 10 prove
that it is one of the most difficuit matt,rs
10 keep a flock up to a satisfactory andard
by a continuous in-and-in breeding. Two
men, equally skillful and careful, may take
each hook derived from the same source,
and eXpend their best judgm, MT and care
on both Of them. and in ten years the per-
sonalty of the breeders viii haze had its
effect in making two flocks which, while r.
tanning the special marks of the breed wi
show such differences as to distinguish one
Hook from the other in a very MAJ k d man.
ner. This is quite apparent in sheen OF III.
same breed, as in cattle; as, for ms ance,
there have been the Webb strain of South
down sheep, having most remarkably differ
ent special points but YET retaining the gen
eral distinguishing marks of the breed. So,
tco,here are now several Strains of Merinoes
Known as Backtons, which in the hands of
diueTsnt breeders have acquired distinctly
different MINOR points by which one strain
Is easily distinguished from the others
The Booth and Bates Shortlorns furn sh
another case in point in this llae OF differ
entiation by force of the persona ity Of The
breeders.
Brt while this is So it effects mostly these
breeders whose business is to supply the shep-
herds who keep focks merely for wool or
mutton OF lambs. Yet it is to be taken ac-
count OF by such h1ck-masters as our cor
respondent, who rear sheen simply for nroft
and ale not particular about the special points
OF the standard animal, but wish TO make the
Hook seif-SUs. tanning. Yet this brings up the
very important poiat that irterbreeding Of
Hook IS one of the most injurious mistakes
tEat can lie made, and In short tine it will
tend to the great deterioria ton of the sheen.
New tlQod Of tAe male sex must be brought
IN at short intervals to sustain the Vigor OF
the flock, or it WILL field i'll cultivated.
run to weeds for want of the change Of crops
In the Indispensable rotation. Thus at the
start II is to he understood that the maate-
nance OF a flock requires new male blood let
Us say every third year This IS a safe in,
t t during d3t which the same ran nay b
used Wht1 this is made the rule Of 3ra5e
uce' All that Is necessary to study is the
reservation of the best eve lambs for the
perpetuatian of the flock.
Ewes should not be served until they are
two years Old, and in selecting these, the
lambs having the desired points for the special
business are TO be selected from their birth.
That is to say, the lambs OF the early breed
ers of the best ewes as mothers the best
mixers, the most affectioIate and attentive
to the lambs, those whose lambs feed and
grow the hest, and those having the most
profitable form for market, are to be kept
aside and left with the ewes as long as
possible, and fed in addition to the suDnort
from the ewes: and while it is not always
desirable, yet when 1t is found to be SO, the
twin lambs are to be selected for the re-
enforcement of the flock
As the fleece is one of the profits of the
mock, this is to be considered. The lambs
from the best-wooled ewes should be kept
in preference to those having the better quail
ties, without this. Every point of excellence
Is to be considered. and the wedding out
should be strict. Of course the best kind
basis for the selection. Those which do the
best with liberal feeding and the best care
will be the most profitable and most valuable
to sustain the character of the flock.
1t is immaterial to what age the ewes are
kept. Really they are not much the floc!.
Itself, but the means of sustaining it and
reinforcing, it, and a good, well-bred and
wel!-nourished eve may be kept as a member
OF the hcck until 1t is found to weaken and
lose its vigor as a lamb producer Ewes have
been kent proftaby until twelve years Of
age, and even more that that and have paid
as we'll for their keeping the youngest.
Generally an old sheep will be found to de-
teriorate as a wool-bearer when six years old,
but instances occur in which ewes have been
kept with profit for twice this age. 1t is a
matter fer discretionary action, and no
special invariable rule can be made
The disposal of the male lamb is also q
discretionary matter. 1t depends on circum-
stances, the most important of which is
the age at which the young lambs may be
sod at the most profit By cont'nue culture
in this line the lambs may be had 50 early
that they will be most profitably sod when
three or four months old After that time
has passed it will pay to feed them up to
ten months, when they are easily salahle
at satisfactory. prices, If they have been
skilfully fed for the market The manner
of feeding these lambs is one thing to be
studied. The writer has found it profitable
to feed sufficient ration of grain feed from
the season until the lambs are ready for
sale The same result was reached at the
interesting experiments made at the Iowa
experiment station under the charge Of Frof
Curtiss. These figures are avalua5le less son
as TO this point:
SHROPSHIRE LAMBS.
Average age .............. 81 days. 27s days
Average weight .......... 135 lbs. 126 lbs.
Average gain per day. ...O.4S lbs. O.36 lbs.
Dry matter for ID of gain.7.1S lis. OPS lbs.
Cost Of feed for lb Of gain.2.SS cts. 3.21 cts.
Selling price ...".": a62 $500
A calculation from these data shows that
the younger lambs made $7.G5 per head,
while the older ones made Sc. 49, although
the gain OF weight was less, and the cost of
feed was somewhat more. The higher mar
ket value made the advantage And this is
in strict accordance with the general rule
IN feeding all kinds of live sock-the nearer
the selling day is to the birthday fof course
under normal and reasonable conditions}, ,he
more money the animal will bring. So that
the rule should be to push the young things
as much as possible by judicfous feed ng,
and market them when about nine months
old. A nine-months-old lambs need not be
castrated, and the check thus given to it;
growth of a few days is avoided and SO
much gain is made. But 1t is better T.
castrate the male lambs when they are ten
days old, when it may be done most easily
and without any risk.