The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-09-24
Live Stock.
SHEEP IN THE SOUTH.
XIV.

| ment-Cheap Ewes Can be Had-IIlustra-
ton Tabulated-A Medium Estimate-It
Bears InvestigatiOn-MOre to Follow.
Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
Management and breeding with
the Shropshire at the head of the
flock for three more years brings us
to the end of the ninth year with 300
half blood Merino ewes, 2O5 half
Shropshires, also 12O eve lambs. By
selling off the Merinos, flock of 1926
young ewes of Shropshire, Merino
and Dorsett cross remain; that is
of the third cross from the original,
and perhaps as many as the owner
will care to keep. If the foregoing
suggestions have been adhered to,
this high grade young flock will
please the eye, attract attention and
satisfy all, including the owner who
will be proud of his business and
made fat will find market under
only fair management Assuming
that the main purpose of the flock is
mutton, 7 would secure another
Shropshire ram of the same charac-
teristics as the former only in a
markedly higher degree of excellence
if possible.
The question might be asked, eff
mutton is the object, why not at
first and all the time cross up with
Shropshires?" I answer that; while
mutton is the main purpose, yet
wool is always an important second
ary purpose one in which the profits
of the business, taking an average
of years, may be increased without
detraction from the mutton profits
Of grade flock.
The ewes started with were per-
haps the best common wool sheep to
be had. The >Dorsett improved the
form and size of sheep, also the
quality and weight of fleece, and in
creased the fecundity of the stock
and rearing of twins, and give a
most desirable flock of young ewes
for the following Merino cross in
heriting tendency to wOoliness.
The offspring from the Merino
cross are finer and with decidedly
more density and weight of fleece
than could have been had with two
crosses of CotswOld. I believe we
shall have gained two pounds of wool
per head more than could have been
gained by any other crosses.
This additional weight can be
maintained and increased if the
right Shropshire be chosen. Three
hundred to six hundred pounds of
wool clipped annually from a flock,
is a considerable profit, while the
quality will surely be improved and
command higher price per pound
than that bred up from common
coarse woods by the mutton breeds
alone.
Now turning our attention back to
the first start with 1875 ewes and sup
posing the purpose in part was to
furnish early lambs for Northern or
even nearby city markets, the man
agement of the flock would be much
the same, except that the lambs shall
all have come by the first of Febru-
ary. The lambs that are to be mar
keted should be in flock by them
selves, and neither docked nor cas-
trated. Their mothers fed so as to
produce milk as before suggested,
only increasedly so.
Feed the lambs with great care
from the start, and insist that it
will pay largely to cut and steam the
feed for these mutton lambs and
their mothers until they are mar
keted. Steam cookers can now be
had reasonable. A large covered
kettle set on a furnace and con-
nected by pipe with steam box is
convenient temporary arrange
ment.
Marketing the ram lambs from the
flock during nine years Of breeding
up to high grade standard, would
develop into considerable of a bust
ness The first requisite is to learn
to prepare and have the lambs fat
and of first quality to sell, and the
man that can do this can soon find
out ways and means, where and when
to reach the best markets.
So need not discuss that matter
in detail further than to say that If
the lambs are fair size, well quar-