The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-12-30
ANIMAL INDUSTRY
BRINGS FARMER PROFIT
AffIuenCe For the SOil-tilIer Who RcarS Livestock
in the State of Utah.
Business Constantly Being Augmented by the Thriving Mer
Engaged in It-Mingle Brains With Money.
gy Rrofassor F. 3 LntlsId. Utah Agreutura oonsgs.

p
A NIMAL INDUSTRY, or the produc-
Il ton of animals and animal pro-
ducts. is one of the most profitable
lines of work for the farmers of the
state. This does not mean TO say thatthe
growing of field crops is or should in
any wise be neglected. but rather that
more attention should be paid to this
branch of farm work, because the
I larger the field crops the greater the
number Of animals and The greater
amount OF animal products it Will be
possible to produce
A fair indication of the Importance
OF the various classes of livestock in
bringing remUneratIve returns to their
owners is, perhaps, Indicated by the
number and enthusiasm of the various
livestock associations. The list of mem
: bers of the Utah WOol-growers' assO-
! citation would indicate that the sheep
/ business was IL prosperous condition.
1 II does not seem to take any exertiOn
/ 10 get and keep them together; while
/ President White of the Livestock as
! ISOLATION seems TO have quite task to
/ round up the livestock men. I wonder
/ have associations had any effect here2
/ There are probably 100000 sheep fed
on tae ranges in Utah, and probably a
much larger number than this owned
! by Utah sheepmen. At 50 per head the
/ value Of these sheep is $4,000. 600. The
! estimate may be high. yet under good
/ conditions the sheep should averag e
/ three-fOurths of a lamb each year, or
2,225,0 lambs, each year, worth, at
/ $3.50 per head, 50, 625, 600. Probably 81
( per head for wool would not be far
| wrong. This would add s., 600 to the
above, or give a gross total income Of
I S., 625,0 900, or close to 100 per cent on the
/ estimated value of the sheep. 1t costs
/ something in feed, labor, etc beside in
teTest on capital invested to get this
| return, yet even then the surplus is
i handsome.
Mutton Becoming Popular.
A change has come over the sheep
/ industry Of the United States within
/ the past few years, and ] am inclined
/ to think a change that mas in it many
/ elements of permanency. The people Of
1 the United States are getting to be d
/ muttcn-eatiEg people. 1t is surprising
/ how the demand has more than kept
pace with the increasing supply shipped
/ to the great markets OF the east. This
demand for mutton is affecting the
! range, and Will in time, affect even the
/ valleys in the western country. The
/ range sheep must now be wool and
| mutton. and the problem before the
! sheep-Owners is the combining of NUT
/ ton quality with a good range sheep.
For this purpose a leading Question
/ is, What is the best breed of sheep to
! use on the common range stOck2 One
point must ever be kept in mind, viz,
/ that d large percentage of meTinO blood
/ is necessary to good range qualities.
/ The experience of the shepherds seems
! to point To the half-breed COtsWOld and
Al H.
Both give size in addition the Cots
| void viii lengthen the fleece. but too
/ strong infusion of the blood will make
/ it open and impair the ranging qualities
of the sheep. The RambOuillets will
also give size and fine wool. though not
/ the length of staple / have not the
data on hand to enable me to say what
would be the effect of continued cross
ing with the RambOuillets till the sheep
/ were high grades. Perhaps first grad
ing towards the CotsWOld and then back
| towards the French merinO would give
bes- results.
OF this. however, I am certain, that
some systematic plan of breeding, with
| careful selection, and keeping the best
! young stock to breed from, and not the
/ culIs. together with good feeding fOI
the first winter. of the lambs added tC
the flock would do much to increase
the size and improve the quality of the
range sheep
Breeding Early Lambs.
In certain parts of the state the
breeding of early lambs is becoming
quite an industry. There seems to b'
no difficulty in breeding the range sheer
so that they viii drop their lambs il
January. In some cases the Cul range
ewes are used for raising the lambs
and then. after the lambs are sold, tn,
ewes are fattened and disposed OF. Th'
old ewes have to be well fed on roots
/ and grain. but with q mutton type o
| ram they give a good lamb that grow
rapidly. The sheep and lambs must, o
course. be well and carefully handled
but with intelligent management ther
seems to be money made at the bust
| ness. Last winter [ saw flock OF l,SU
| grade COtSWOldS which averaged IS
| Der cent of the lambs, and at least Is
per cent were saved. The Landing sea
son for these early lambs is from tn
| first of January to the first of March
Good dry quarters have to be provided
| and plenty OF help must be on hand t
| take care of the young lambs bot
night and day during the time 0
lambing. When a week or two Oh
there is no better place for the youn'
| lambs than in a shed with a south eX
posure. The shed should be SO con
| structed as to give full access to III
bright warm sunlight Of the day. an
vet easy to close up on cold, storm
nights.
These early lambs are disposed of u
. June and July when they sell at a goo
price. When no special provision !
, made for caring for them, the lambln
season is about the latter part of Ma
cl. June. on the range. the weather !
| then. even at night, warm enough L
net chill the lambs. The majority O
these range lambs are disposed of b
September or October.
There is always, however a CERTAIN
proportion of cuIls. AS a rule, thcs
should never be kept to breed from
These lambs may be made to max
gains at a profit on the Utah farm.
though whether the Utah feeder ca
afford to pay as much for them as tn
eastern feeder is an open question
Sometimes the lambs are kept owe
winter and sold as yearlings next fal
The fleece will pay for the feed an
care and the yearling viii bring 50.
Effects of Overlooking.
There is one point the wool grower.
as an association, might discuss. Is
' possible to limit the sheep populatio
to the capabilities of the range? 1t
clearly evident that the range shee
cannot be increased Indefinitely. Eve
now there is talk Of the range bein
( overstocked. The first effect of over
stocking viii be to diminish the SUI
ply of range feed il being destroye
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