The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-11-26
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For several years the Wisconsin ex-
pertinent station has been working In
the direction of establishing a flock of
mutton sheep, in which the lambs for
an early spring market should be of
the best, as well as the older sheep
valuable for mutton. AS a result of
their Investigations so far they say
that one chief consideration is to Sc
cure good rams. This does not mean
high priced prize winners, as they al
most invariably prove infertile or in
capable Of service.
When rams are vigorous, without
having been pampered or starved, and
show that they have the qualities de-
sired, they will give good value re-
ceived even at high prices. The ewes
should be selected from those that are
the deepest mixers, that suckle their
lambs the best and that have dense
heeces for their own protection. The
best mothers are invariably among the
leans when the lambs are weaned, and
they should be chosen by the record
they have made as mothers and not on
points of style or smoothness. They
are apt to vary in quality Of lambs
raised from year to year, and it is not
always wise to reject eve because of
poor lambs one year, if she has good
records for previous years, or eve the
first year If she is known to be of a
good milking family and appears all
right.
The eve lambs to be kept from breed
ing should be fed literally from the
first with oats and the best pasturage.
This course insures good weight Of
body and fleece, and after the first
year it is hardly possible to check their
growth, as they will have the necessary
vigor to provide for themselves. In a
grade flock where lambs are to be sold
to the butcher uniformity is important,
and a ram that has proved a good
breeder should be bred to the same
ewes year after year as long as posi-
BILE, but when necessary to change get
one that has not the same faults of
fleece or form as the ewes or has good
qualities which they lack. If the ewes
are uniform, this is easier than when
they are flock Of mixed character
Selecting the Ram.
Don't use ram lamb if you can pos
sibly avoid it. But if you must use a
lamb be sure he is at least ten months
old, and don't let him serve over fifteen
or twenty ewes, and they should be old
ones, says Farm, Stock and Home.
Having selected your ram, your next
lookout is to have him in vigorous con-
dition for the work you require of him.
You don't want him in show condition,
but you want him muscular and strong,
with plenty of lean meat on him, and to
get this he requires both exercise and
proper food, and our experience is that
1t takes as long to get ram in proper
condition for service as it does to fatten
a sheep for market.
The food of ram should be strong in
protein, as that is the ingredient in
food that makes the lean meat and
muscle. 1t makes the red cOrpuscles
abound in the blood, and the blood Is
life. Among the strongest grain foods
are oats with bran or little oilmeal,
say two pounds Of oats and bran, half
of each by weight, and a couple of ia
blespoonfuls of oilmeal daily.
Avoid all condiments excepting salt,
which is strong constituent in the
blood. A well sheep needs no doping,
and sick one is not fit to breed from.
Among green foods strong in protein
are clover, alfalfa, rape and cabbage
and a good grass pasture. Don't cod
die your ram, but make him gather
his own green feed, for he needs the ex-
ercise.