The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-01-23

good back, well sprung ribs making
large barrel or middle filled with good
big lungs heart and digestive organs b
1t is the shop in which all the repair.
ing and building of the whole body is
done. Too much emphasis cannot be
put on this. have never yet seen an
animal with short ribs that was a good
one.
Having selected the foundation aock
or herd, most people are inclined to
think their selecting is done, but if z
they are 10 be successful breeders if
is only just begun. 1t is as important
that YOU select we'll the animals to
leave the flock as it is to we'll select
the ones to be brought to ii. I have
always kept sheep when l had anv
stock because of the fact that they
breed younger than horses or cattle,
one can get experience faster with item.
For that reason | talk more about
them than other animals, but nearly
all of it will apply with as much force
to other animals.
The first thing after selecting the
foundation herd should be an intimate
acquaintance with each animal, noting
it's peculiarities, it's good and bad quail.
tiles. Where large numbers are kept
the knowing of each one at sight is
impossible. Marks may be resorted to
that in one place mean one thing, in
another, another thing. The ear is
perhaps the best place to mark. and
any one can invent a system of marks +
for the ear SO that they will be able
to express most anything necessary in
a grade flock of sheep, and the breed h
ers of pure bred sheep should in al
cases keep a written record of their
flock, noting the good and bad quail.
qualities manifest themselves. You
will find in some focks, ewes that are
poor mixers, poor mothers having lit.
tie or no motherly instinct, those that
produce weaklings that die or tax the
patience and ingenuity of the shep.
herd to keep them alive, those that
have trouble at Landing time in bring
ing forth their young, shy breeders,
barren ones, and so on indefinitely.
Now if no records are kept We do
not know from what source all these
troubles come. We do not know that
by proper selection these and all other
inherited troubles can be almost COM
pletely eradicated from the flock
These records are of more value to
a breeder in selecting the sheep to
sell and those to retain, than anything
else | know of.
At lambing time is the best time to
get acquainted with each individual
eve. To make this acquaintance 50
there can be no mistake, and also to
aid in caring for and saving the lamb,
YOU should provide several small hur.
dies about four feet long, having them
in a convenient place, and things so
arranged that they could be quickly
made into pens arranged along the
side OF the barn. AS the ewes drop
their lambs place each one with her
lambs in an individual pen. Keep her
there one day or more as the neceSs-
ties may require. Having book and pen
Gil, and punch and paint handy. If
you do not wish to decide between the
mark the choice ones in the right ear,
the poor mothers in the left. The mod
crate need not be marked, they can be
selected on individuality alone. 1t is
well when marking the mothers to at
the same time mark the lamb in the
same way, if you keep record note
the sort Of eve she is and then her
qualities as mother. The eve that
you would say of, motherly instinct
poor, poor mixer, is just the eve that
will be the finest in the flock in the
fall for she is sure to raise a lamb
poorly fed, or lose it entirely. You
will hate to select her as one to sell,
but don't go around that record no
matter if she be the choice of the flock.
The one your record shows motherly
instinct strong, good mixer, and rails
ed two nice lambs, will come in in the
fall, thin and inferior looking, in ap-
pearance Gull, in reality one OF the
gems CT the flock. Cut out the one,
and consider all her kin numerically,
and do not let a price tempt you to
part with the other.
This is easily done in your own flock,
but they say the ram is half the flock
and we must purchase one occasion
ally. You can select the individual
rightly perhaps, but strange to say |
have but once heard man ask about
the dam Of the ram he was buying
If it was necessary to know this OF
the ewes you kept, then it is many
more times important that the dam
OF the ram should be of the right kind.
Too often we pjva tho male credit