^^^^^^^ SF 376 $4- UC-NRLF 277 EMI sJD ROGRESSI HEEPRAISI PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING By R.J.H.DE LOACH DIRECTOR ARMOUR'S BUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND ECONOMICS Assisted by H. A. PHILLIPS MANAGER ARMOUR'S SHEEP DEPARTMENT ARMOUR'S BUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND ECONOMICS REQ. NO. 399962 V 3 7 to Copyright igi8. Armour and Compam Introduction By F. EDSON WHITE Vice President of Armour and Company THE sheep, as a domesticated animal, is closely bound with the great movements of world commerce during the past hundred years. The history of sheep raising reflects the remarkably rapid development of commerce and industry during the nineteenth century, in which the founders of the packing industry took part. TA I// T/17 / ^ess *han a century ago mutton was little 1 ne Ola WOOl usecj outside the densely populated districts Type Of Sheep of the Old World. In the Americas, Africa, Australia and Central Asia — remote regions where transportation was poor and land was cheap and sparsely populated — there was no market for mutton and sheep were raised for skins and fleeces only. For the production of these, the Merino was the ideal type, and it had the field all to itself. Up to as late as 1 870 four-fifths of all the sheep in America were either pure-bred or grade Merinos. During the following twenty years, however, several developments of world-wide significance took place which changed the aspect of the world's sheep-raising industry. fJ/LsM* 7l/f, 4+™ Railroad building and steamboat opera- Wtien MUttOn tion> aiong with the practical application of Superseded large-scale refrigeration and the refrigerator H/OO/ car, annihilated time and distance between the sheep ranges and the centers of world meat consumption so that the sheep grower for the first time found himself face to face with the strong and steady pull of a world de- mand for mutton as well as wool and skins. Sheep growers began crossing their wool-growing type of sheep with the various mutton types of Europe. If Z>A7* n Not until 1 86q was the first through-line nOW rnlllp U. railroad opened up between Chicago and Armour Broad- New York, so that cars of western meats or ened the Market other goods could be shipped through to eastern markets without reloading. 380878 In 1875 Philip D. Armour erected in Chicago the first really large-scale chill room in the world, although small ice boxes, and even a crude type of refrigerator cars, had previously been used by others. Previous to 1880 Mr. Armour, who was also responsible for the actual building and operation of the first whole line of refrigerator cars, killed no sheep in his several packing plants. Pork was the ideal packing meat, as it still is; and fresh meats had not yet become a commodity on the market. In fact, packing houses were operated only during the winter months, and no meats at all were packed in summer until after large-scale refrigerative control had been estab- lished. Thn MiiU™ Beef — pickled, smoked and dried — followed i? i * rT » P°rk ?s a commodity on the market. The Market Devel- world's appetite for fresh meats was satisfied Oped Last - only insofar as home slaughter and the local butcher could satisfy it. But mutton, being strictly a fresh meat product, and not lending itself to pickling, smoking and drying, became a world commodity only after the development of refrigerated transportation. In 1880 Mr. Armour began killing a few sheep in Chicago to supply the local market. The large-scale slaughter and distribution of sheep in the new world had to await not only the development of a great line of refrigerator cars and scores of branch houses, but the development of the public taste for mutton and a mutton type of sheep to satisfy that growing taste. _t The first Armour branch house was 1 he Present erected i n New York City in 1 884. This was Armour Market immediately followed by one in Albany. By 1 8qo there were forty branches, and this num- ber had doubled before 1 894. Today the market through which Armour disposes of the vast number of high-grade lambs and sheep purchased annually for cash from the American farmer consists of more than four hun- dred branch houses in this country alone. Several thousand refrigerator cars are constantly in operation between the twenty Armour packing plants and these hundreds of branch houses. A great system of side industries has been developed to utilize all of the by-products, in the manufacture and sale of such articles as glue, glycerine, violin strings, pepsin and fertilizer, which enables us to pay the sheep raiser a maximum price for his live animals. Arrnntirfe This book has been prepared under the s±rmuur s ^ auspices of Armour's Farm Service Bureau, farm Service which has been organized to study the whole Bureau Armour system of industries in their relation to farm production, to serve as a middle- ground of information and co-operation between the several Armour industries and the farmer and to make researches into problems of farm production. It is our hope that this bureau will fulfill a useful mission in establishing a closer understanding and co-operation between the producer and the packer in particular; but also, in a broader sense, between the farmer and the business man, and between business and our educational institutions. Table of Contents PAGE INTRODUCTION, by F. Edson White 3 THE SHEEP SITUATION TODAY q Why Sheep Went West q The Present Eastward Trend 10 Increased Importance of Sheep • 1 1 The Opportunity 1 1 The Breeder Safe 12 Relation of Breeder and Feeder 12 The Sheep Market 12 Prospects for Prices 13 THE SHEEP IN FARM ECONOMY 14 The Ranch Vanishing 14 The Farm the Place for Sheep 14 Relation to Weeds and Waste 14 Value of Sheep Manure 15 RAISE SHEEP FOR MEAT 17 Wool Supply Follows Mutton 17 Should We Sell Lambs 17 A Lamb Market Necessary 1 8 Should Encourage Lamb Consumption 18 BREEDS AND BREEDING 20 Secure Breeding Stock 20 Breeding Ewes 20 Renew Stock with Pure Bred Ram 21 General Classification of Breeds 21 Types of the Different Breeds 22 Fine Wool vs. Mutton Breeds 23 PAGE Cross Breeding 23 In the Mating Season 24 During Pregnancy 24 Suggestions for Lambing Time 24 A First Aid Outfit 25 Caring for the Ewe 25 Caring for the Lamb 25 MARKETING MUTTON AND LAMB 26 What Are the Market Demands 26 Early Spring or Hot-House Lambs 26 Spring Lambs 26 Fed Lambs 2.7 Imported Sheep and Lambs 28 THE FEEDING OF SHEEP 29 Feeding Ewes 29 At Lambing Time 29 Begin Feeding at Ten Days 30 Healthy Lambs Economize Feeds 30 Feeding for Breeders or for Market 31 Gains From Different Grains 31 Rations Worked Out by Experiment Stations 31 Rations for Fattening Lambs 32 Calculating Feeding Costs 33 How to Fatten Sheep 34 Substitute Barley for Wheat 35 The Wool Pays the Feed Bill 36 Self Feeders Should Not be Used 36 GOOD PASTURES A BASIC CROP 37 Good Pastures Important 38 Value of Native Grass 38 PAGE Rye, Good and Easy to Grow 38 Vetch and Rye 38 Alfalfa and Oats 39 The Clovers 39 Do Not Graze Clover too Young 39 Rape and Cabbage as Feeds 40 Trees in Pasture 40 GENERAL CARE AND MANAGEMENT 41 Care of Sheep 41 Culling the Flock 41 Shearing 42 Docking of Lambs 42 Castration of Lambs 43 Dogs a Great Hindrance 43 Why Not Have Dog Laws 44 A Uniform Dog Law 44 Sheep Husbandry 45 DISEASES OF SHEEP 46 Sheep Diseases Classified 46 External Diseases 46 Stomach Worms 47 Nodular Disease 47 Treating Internal Diseases 47 Dipping 48 Avoid Bloating 48 BY-PRODUCTS OF THE SHEEP 49 TABLE OF RECEIPTS AT SEVEN MARKETS 51 TABLE SHOWING RANGE OF LAMB PRICES 51 LIST OF OFFICERS OF THE VARIOUS SHEEP BREEDERS' ASSOCIATIONS.. 52 REFERENCES 54 PROGRESSIVE -S H £ E:P;' it is economy and in the Eastward public interest that they should be Trend fully utilized. In fact, more attention should be given to this than ever before. In iqi6 our public lands suitable for grazing amounted to about 750,000,000 acres and supported 1,750,000 cattle and 7,850,000 sheep. However, that condition is passing and will soon go the way of the Buffalo and the Longhorn Steer. The increasing population of the country and the decreasing acreage, of these ranges, due to settlement, have com- bined in recent years to take up som ; of the slack and force a closer grazing, which makes it necessary to use more and more concentrates to finish range sheep for market. These conditions are gradually bringing up the cost of range sheep until now, under favorable con- ditions, sheep can be raised and finished for market on the farm almost as cheaply as on the ranges. The farmers who settle this land will, of course, continue to raise sheep on it, but it will be on a basis similar to that of the small farmer in the East. The cost of raising these sheep will never again be so low as it was on the free range. The high prices of mutton and wool, suddenly sharpened by the world war, were no doubt responsible for the awakening of the farmers to this change in the economic situation with regard to sheep raising and the resulting nation-wide movement to get our farm lands re-stocked with sheep. We are now beginning to learn for the first time what the sheep really stands for. We are beginning to appre- ciate it as a national asset. Of all meat animals it may be that the sheep will eventually prove the most indispensa- ble. Lamb meat already stands at the top — and wool has Page Ten PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING no equal as a fiber for the manufacture of clothing. Ade- quate substitutes may yet be found for leather and other by-products of meat animals, but there is little likelihood of our ever finding a suitable substitute for wool. , The Army had to be clothed as well Increased as fed Wool was the best if not the Importance only material out of which suitable of Sheep clothing could be made, and it required the wool of twenty sheep to outfit each soldier. This combination of circumstances has created a world-wide interest in the sheep industry, marking, as we say above, a new era in the American industry and giving impetus to the backward swing of the sheep population from the free ranges of our far west to the thousands of mid-west and eastern farms from which they had formerly disappeared. Those who think of entering the The Oppor- business of sheep breeding naturally tunity ask themselves, what are the chances for a permanent sheep and wool market? Such a question is fully justified. The following news item is quoted from the United States Food Admin- istration in February, 1918: "It is probable that Europe for many years after the war will look to a great extent to America for its meat supply. "Europe's herds are dwindling under war's demands faster than they can be replenished. "When the German armies retired from occupied por- tions of France and Belgium approximately 1,800,000 head of cattle were appropriated. This addition virtually safeguarded Germany from the cattle shortage other nations now suffer." While sheep are not specifically mentioned in this report, yet the decline in all kinds of livestock has a direct bearing on any branch of the industry. Besides there is a world shortage of sheep amounting to many million head. Page Eleven PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING In these days of high priced wool The Breeder and mutton, sheep breeders have Safe reaped large be'nefits. They have had good pastures and the natural wastes of the farms or the ranches, and have made money almost without exception. This is borne out by personal interviews with many of the best breeders in the country. Each year hundreds of breeders The Relation find themselves with more sheep than of Breeder they have provided feeds for, and find and Feeder ^ expedient to send a part of the flock to market before it is finished. At the same time hundreds of feeders with a surplus of feeds have found it both convenient and profitable to buy up these flocks and finish them for a later market. This is a safe and legitimate operation if conducted with calm judgment. Within the past few months (written March, 1918) a number of farmers have bought good light lambs at high prices, finished them on costly feeds and put them on the market, making fair money in most cases, breaking about even in some, and actually losing money in a few. This has caused some confusion and misunderstanding, but it has been due to an unfortunate combination of circumstances, which will sometimes happen in any business. We have every reason to believe The Sheep that there is a world shortage of sheep, Market in which event the market is safe for several years to come. Whatever conditions may be brought about by the present war, we can feel assured that the law of supply and demand will always regulate prices, which in turn regulates the planting of crops and the breeding of meat animals. This world shortage of sheep has helped to stimulate the industry, and popularize the raising of mutton and lamb and, we feel Page Twelve PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING justified in saying, has provided a broad and firm founda^ tion for the industry as a business venture. We feel safe in saying that the prices Prospects of mutton and wool will remain high for Prices for several years after the war closes. Since the war began our standards of living have continued to go steadily higher, and the scale of values all along the line has advanced. We anticipate a greater demand for meat after the war than ever before, due to the fact that thousands of young men who have not been accustomed to a regular meat diet are being educated to expect it while in the army, and will not be inclined to do without it when they return to their respective homes. P*Ct Thirteen PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING The Sheep In Farm Economy Much of the public land in the west The Ranch is being opened up for settlement from Vanishing year to year, and the area for grazing large flocks of low priced sheep is gradually diminishing in this way. America's great opportunity is in The Farm the placing sheep back on farm lands. P//7/V* //>*• if not all> of the pure-bred sheep Classification in this country are representatives of of Breeds the numerous breeds of British origin. The British breeds are classified in various ways, such as horned and hornless, dark-faced and white-faced, mountain and lowland, long-wooled and short- wooled ; but according to the best of the British authorities, the most usual plan is to divide them into mountain breeds, long-wooled breeds, and down breeds. Page Twenty-One PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING As in most classifications, however, it is difficult to draw sharp lines, although the three classes just men- tioned are fairly distinct. There is much variation in the sheep of Great Britain, but in all of them, over there, the carcass is the chief consideration. "If we include the Merino, another Types of classification divides sheep into three fA/i n;/&>*v>»?/ main classes, from the standpoint of me different thdr ^^ yiz . long_wools> repre_ Breeds sented by the Lincoln, Cotswold, Leicester, etc.; middle or medium- wools, represented by the Shropshire, Southdown, Hampshire, etc., known as down breeds; and fine-wools, to which the different varieties of the Merino belong, such as the Rambouillet, Delaine and American. However, although fairly good mutton may be had from any of the breeds of sheep, the middle wool class is that from which the choicest quality is obtained and, therefore, is known as the mutton type. It includes the various down sheep just mentioned, and the Horned Dorset, Cheviot, etc. "The long- wool breeds are also used as mutton sheep, in addition to their wool-production, but their flesh is not considered of such fine quality as an edible product. "The fine- wools, such as the Merinos, are not usually looked upon as mutton sheep, although crossing with middle-wool blood produces a better mutton animal than the pure Merino. "The down-sheep, proper, are hornless, dark-faced and dark-legged; and the majority have close fine wool, com- paratively short in length, and with fleeces of medium weight. The most important economic feature is the quality of the carcass and the mutton. They do not readily become too fat, even when fed to great weights, and the mutton is of superior quality, being firm, fine in the grain, and rich in color. Page Twenty-Two PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING „. iA7 t "Referring for a moment to the fine Wool vs. fine-wools or Merinos, as wool-producers Mutton Breeds they are famous. The mutton qualities, however, are inferior, the sheep being muscular in type, carrying but little fat, and considered of about secondary importance in this respect. The cross- bred, or grade American Merino, is not improved for wool- production, but, as already stated, when crossed with middle-wool blood, a better mutton sheep is produced, although yielding less wool. "The mutton value of the Delaine Merino has been emphasized for some time; but it does not dress out so well as the true mutton type of sheep. The cross-bred or grade Delaine seems to be valued on the range." "The Rambouillet, which is of Spanish origin, although a native of the northwestern part of France, is a member of the great Merino family. As a mutton producer, this breed ranks well, but is inferior to the regular mutton breeds. Cross-bred and grade Rambouillets are well known on the Western ranges." There is perhaps no universally best breed. Some breeds do well in some places, while others do better in other places. Some farmers have wonderful success with par- ticular breeds, and almost fail with others. The particular breed that one selects must be largely a matter of individual choice. Joe Wing found that when Merino Cross Breeding ewes were crossed with good Down breeds, the result was good, but was best only when the ewe stock was kept pure Merino. In cross-breeding it is well to remember that the ram is just half the flock — and by far the easiest half to care for. Oxfords, Shropshries, Dorsets, Southdowns and Hamp- shires cross well on the Western ewes, and make rapid grow- ing lambs. The question of cross-breeding deserves much study, and will be found more successful on the farm than on the range for the reason that conditions and environment can be more easily controlled on the farm. Page Twenty-Three PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING In the Mating The following suggestions are quoted Season from Illinois Extension Circular No. 1 7. (a) Have the ewes in a gaining condition. (b) Shear the ewes around the rear parts, and see that the dung does not collect there. (c) Dip the ewes and the ram if ticks, lice, or scab mites are present. (d) Feed the ram a pound of grain each day. Grain should be fed to ram before mating begins. (e) Use one ram to every thirty-five to fifty ewes. (f) Keep a record of the time when the ram is turned in with the ewes and when taken away. During The period of pregnancy is 146 days and Pregnancy the following will be found a useful guide: (a) Have the ewes gain 15 to 25 pounds. (b) Utilize cheap roughages. (c) Feed grain and leguminous hay during the months of pregnancy. (d) Shelter the ewes from cold rains and storms. (e) It may be advisable to divide the ewes into groups relative to age, condition, or time of lambing. Suggestions Most of the following suggestions are for Lambing taken from Extension Circular, No. Time 18, University of Illinois, by Prof. W. C. Coffey, which contains much valu- able information on handling the flock at lambing time. The shepherd should keep watch over the flock at lamb- ing time. Keep the ewes that are about to drop lambs separated from other kinds of live stock — and do not forget that hogs will eat young lambs. Provide warm quarters in cold weather and give ewes plenty of room. Have a few portable lambing pens, about four feet square. Page Twenty-Four PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING A First Aid It is suggested that the following should be Outfit kept on hand for treatment of ewes and lambs : 1 . Liquid sheep dip to be used as a disinfectant. 2. Epsom salts, castor oil, and raw linseed oil to be used as physic. 3. Tincture of iron, gentian and ginger to be used as a tonic. 4. Soap to place in water intended for injections to relieve constipation. 5. Tincture of iodine to be used on swollen udders and on navel cords to prevent "navel ill." 6. Swan-bill nipples for feeding milk to young lambs. 7. A metal syringe provided with a large nozzle and also a small one suitable for giving injections to young lambs. 8. A glass graduate for measuring doses of medicine. Caring for As lambing time approaches, pen the ewe the Ewe at night where she can be watched till the lamb is a few days old. It must be kept in mind that the ewe frequently requires help when giving birth to lambs. If help is given, great care should be taken to disinfect the hand — and do not tear the parts of the ewe. If the ewe seems to have no appetite six or eight hours after the lamb is born, raw linseed oil and epsom salts should be given. Two ounces of oil and four ounces of salts make a good physic. A teaspoonful of gentian in half pint of warm water three times daily makes a good tonic. Caring for See that the lamb finds the teat, and if it the Lamb is strong nothing more is necessary. A weak lamb should be helped till it is strong enough to find its food. If the lamb is disowned, confine it and its mother in a close pen, and smear some of the mother's milk on the lamb. Twins should always be put with the ewe both at the same time. Page Twenty-Five PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING Marketing Mutton and Lamb Wh . During the past few years there has wnai are keen a remarkable change in the sheep the Market business. ' 'Aged stock' ' has become very Demands scarce. Livestock men now market practically all of their stock as lambs. This has resulted almost in the elimination of wether sheep and yearling ewes. Receipts of "aged stock" are now almost all ewes, and even these at times are very scarce. *W/,, ?„*-,'„, The trade calls for HSnt' Plump, well &arly bprmg finished lambs, weighing about 70 to or Hothouse 80 pounds on the hoof, and mutton Lambs weighing looto 125 pounds. The sale of poorly finished carcasses is very slow — but the demand is always heavy for good stock. In this country few of our wethers are above three years old when they are taken to market. We are a lamb-eating people, but will eat mutton when lambs are not available. The first run of spring lambs usually comes just before Easter. These are often termed "hothouse lambs" and are the output of growers who specialize on early lambs. They are generally dressed with the pelts on. These are lambs that are dropped in November or December and prepared under artificial conditions for market. The idea in raising hot-house lambs is to bring them on the market in early spring and get fancy prices for them. For a limited supply of these lambs there is a good demand. They average about fifty pounds on the hoof, which is considered very light as lambs go. Spring Lambs The first real run of genuine spring lambs on the western markets is from Tennessee. The start in limited quantities about the middle of May, and come regularly after June first. Page Twenty-Six PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING They are pasture lambs and usually come from the South where pastures are green very early in spring, and where lambing time is somewhat earlier than farther north. These lambs may be fed grain with profit, even though they have plenty of rich pasture. In this way they can be quickly finished for market from April fifteenth to June first while prices are high. To get the best results with them, the ewes may be fed some grain but should receive cotton-seed meal and some hulls, and with these a light sprinkling of shorts. These Tennessee lambs are followed by Kentucky Iambs during July, and the Central States Natives and western range lambs from July fifteenth to about Novem- ber first. These are the grain fed spring lambs Fed Lambs that run from about November first to June first. They are mostly range- bred stock that has been moved east during the fall and handled by feeders. The time required to finish these lambs depends upon the time that they are put on special feeds and the nature of the feeds used. Different feeds are used in different parts of the country. In some sections like Colorado where hundreds of thousands are finished for market, feeding is almost a profession. The practice there hinges on the rich alfalfa crops and the pea fields in the Arkansas Valley, the grains and other concentrates being shipped in. In Idaho, Montana and other western states, lambs are frequently kept over and finished during the fall and winter months on hay. In the middle west and further east, various kinds of feed combinations are used as suggested in the chapter on feeding. Soy-bean meal, shorts, corn meal, and various other concentrates, combined with some hay and clover or alfalfa, con- stitute the bulk of such feeds. In feeding for market farmers should exercise judgment for the reason that greatest profits are always made by judicious feeding. Page Twenty-Seven PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING For several years past frozen sheep Imported Sheep and lambs have been imported from and Lambs South America, Australia and New Zealand. Although the American trade is unused to handling frozen stock, these imported sheep and lambs have met with a ready sale and given entire satisfaction. Page Twenty-Eight MERINO CORRIEDALE PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING The Feeding of Sheep IT WILL be impossible to give a complete treatise on feeding in this booklet, but we feel justified in includ- ing some of the experiments and opinions of the best feeders. Sheep respond readily to good treatment. They clean up the weeds about the farm, and graze pastures and ranches, closer than other animals. They thrive with very little attention, but pay handsomely for the best care. Sheep that are raised on the large western ranges are usually fed lightly and only in winter except when they are being finished for market; in fact, it is not necessary to feed them in grazing season except to keep them tame and under control. They are primarily grazing animals and do best when they have free range. The ewes should be flushed just Feeding Ewes before breeding time in order to secure the best results. If on the farm, they can care for twin lambs, and are more apt to drop twins if well fed prior to breeding. They do not need very high feeding during winter. An abundance of forage, a half-pound of mixed grain feeds, and two or three pounds of silage or root crops daily per head will be sufficient. The most important part of the flock of sheep is the breeding ewes, and if we once learn to care for these we have solved most of the difficulties of the business. In selecting feeds a formula should consist of some alfalfa and other legume hay, such as clover, cow-peas or velvet beans. Do not feed grain two or three days At Lambing prior to, during and immediately after Time lambing time. There is danger of milk fever. Legume hay or other dry rough- age and silage or mangels can be fed with safety all through Page Twenty-Nine PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING the period of gestation and these may be supplemented with small quantities of grain a few days after lambs are dropped. Within a short time a full feeding of grain is possible without injury, if the quantity is very small at first and the increase gradual. The best paying feature of the sheep industry is the quick sale of fat lambs. Much study and attention therefore should be given to the subject of feeding lambs. They very early develop an appetite Begin Feeding for solid feeds, and will begin to nibble at Ten Days weeds and grass when only a few days old. Feeding may begin with safety at ten days of age, and should be done for the reason that a pound of flesh can be produced now much cheaper than when the lamb is older. Besides, too long delay will make it harder to put on flesh. In England, and more recently in this country, the custom has been developed of constructing creeps or small openings through which lambs can pass, but which keep back the ewes. These permit lambs to go into special inclosures where they can have extra attention. They should begin to use grain as early as they can with a degree of safety, which is about two or three weeks after birth. Other facts regarding the feeding of lambs are pretty well known, or can readily be learned from the many excellent books available, including state and Government bulletins. Healthy Lambs Healthy lambs make good use of Economize every ounce of feeds that go into them, and while they are young is the time to plan and feed for marketing. Delay is costly. Every farmer knows that it is good business to use feeds where they count for most, and grown sheep cannot make as good use of feeds as lambs. Page Thirty PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING Experiment has shown that to produce a hundred pounds of lamb flesh it was necessary only to add one of the following to the milk and grass diet: 71 pounds of wheat bran or 74 pounds of corn meal or 78 pounds of oats or 8 1 pounds of crushed peas. Feeding fof Unweaned lambs that are to go to the Breeders or breeding flock at maturity should re- / *• Mnrleot Ceive OatS> ^ran an<^ P688' wni^e those that are to go to the slaughter pen should receive corn. The corn produces a fat carcass and one better suited for market demands. Gains from The rate °f S3"1 fr°m tne different Different Grains %*££*» by WoU ta the folbwing C[UOLdLlOn . "When alfalfa is used alone it requires no to 120 days to fit lambs for market ; with light grain feeding (one-fourth pound per head per day) 100 to no days; with medium grain ration (one-half pound), 90 to 100 days; and with heavy grain ration (one pound), 70 to 80 days." He states that one-fourth pound a day of corn made as much gain as one-half pound, but that the gain was not so rapid. Rations In Henry's Feeds and Feeding (page worked out by 52^) are given a number of results from j? v» .»i* tne various experiment stations in ra- t,xperi> tions for fattening lambs The tables Stations show how much rations should be given each day to- a hundred lambs. They also show the weights of the lambs that were fed and the average daily gain resulting from the feed combinations. Page Thirty-One PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING Rations for Fattening Lambs At various Stations different feeding stuffs and combinations of feeds have been used for fattening purposes. Ex- amples are here presented to aid the feeder in forming satisfactory combinations of grain and roughage and to guide in determining the quantities required. In all cases the rations are calculated for 100 head. The weight of the lambs is given in each example : Michigan Experiment Station. l Corn and clover hay. Lbs. Av. wt. of lambs fed ... 82 Daily gain .31 Shelled Corn 149 Clover Hay 104 Michigan Experiment Station. x Corn, oil meal and clover hay. Av. wt. of lambs fed ... 83 Daily gain .34 Corn 132 Oil Meal 33 Clover Hay no Wisconsin Experiment Station. 2 Corn and Corn fodder Lbs. Av. wt. of Lambs fed. . . 76 Daily gain .27 Shelled corn 154 Corn fodder . . . 1 88 Michigan Experiment Station. l Corn, bran and clover hay Av. wt. of lambs fed ... 80 Daily gain .25 Shelled corn 8 1 Bran 81 Clover hay 107 Michigan Experiment Station. 3 Corn, Wheat and clover hay. Av. wt of lambs fed ... 85 Daily gain .25 Shelled corn 64 Wheat 64 Clover hay 1 29 Wisconsin Experiment Station. 2 Corn, oats and hay Av. wt. of lambs fed ... 8g Daily gain .38 Shelled corn Q4 Oats 94 Hay 95 Wisconsin Experiment Station. 2 Corn, peas and corn fodder. Av. wt of lambs fed ... 76 Daily gain .32 Shelled corn 87 Peas 87 Corn fodder 183 Michigan Experiment Station. Oats, hay and roots Av. wt. of lambs fed ... 83 Daily gain .3 Oats 164 Clover hay 140 Ruta-bagas 100 u 113. Page Thirty-Two 2Rept. i8q6. 3Bul. 128. 4Bul. 107 PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING Minnesota Experiment Station. l Texas Experiment Station. 2 Wheat screenings and timothy hay Cotton-seed meal and cotton-seed Lbs. hulls Lbs. Av. wt. of lambs fed ... 74 Av. wt. of lambs fed ... 62 Daily gain 29 Daiiy gain 28 Wheat screenings 211 Cotton-seed meal 97 Timothy hay ^^ Cotton-seed hulls 97 Minnesota Experiment Station. l Barley, oil meal and timothy hay Colorado Experiment Station. » Av.wt. of Iambs fed... 76 Cracked corn and alfalfa hay Daily gain .33 Av. wt. of lambs fed ... 89 Barley 1 70 Daily gain . 29 Oil meal iq Alfalfa hay 290 Timothy hay 72 Com 67 Barley, oats and corn were the cheapest concentrates in the growth of market lambs. Barley is easy to grow and sufficient attention has not yet been given to it in this country as a food for sheep. It is especially good in climates where winter wheat is likely to be winter killed. In order to calculate the exact cost Calculating of producing a hundred pounds of live Feeding Costs weight, one has only to refer to the daily papers and see the price of the materials he is selling, or to be even more practical, calcu- late the price of feeds by the prices we are getting on the market. The legal weight of grains is different in different states, but the following is accurate enough for practical purposes: Corn in ear 70 Ibs. per bushel Corn shelled 56 Ibs. per bushel Corn meal 48 Ibs. per bushel Wheat 60 Ibs. per bushel Barley 48 Ibs. per bushel Rye 56 Ibs. per bushel Oats 32 Ibs. per bushel 'Bui. 113 2Rept. 1896 ^ 'Bui. 128 Page Thirty-Thref PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING Woll, in Productive Feeding of Farm How to Animals (Lippincott), gives a series of Fatten Sheep formulas to be used in combination for finishing sheep for market, and they are so good and so representative that we reprint them here, giving them in the order in which we find them. The amounts are to be given daily to each animal weighing about one hundred pounds at the beginning of the finishing period : 1. Two pounds clover hay, one pound wheat bran, one and a half pounds corn. 2. One and a half pounds of hay, one and a half pounds roots, one and a half pounds of oats and wheat bran, equal weights. 3. One and a half pounds clover hay, one pound roots, one pound corn, one-half pound wheat bran. 4. Three pounds alfalfa, two-thirds pounds corn. 5. One pound each cotton seed hulls and cotton seed meal. 6. One and a half pounds clover hay, one pound corn, one-quarter pound wheat bran, one-half pound gluten feed. Combination hay and grain rack which may be entered by attendant when feeding grain. (U. S. Farmers* Bui. No. 810) Page Thirty-Four PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING 7. Two pounds alfalfa hay, two pounds ground corn and oats. 8. Two pounds clover hay, one and a half pounds soy beans, one-quarter pound wheat bran. Substitute These combinations can be mixed in Barleu for ^arge cluantities f°r flocks, and tnen wheat given out by totals — the number of pounds to each sheep multiplied by the number of sheep to be fed. Barley makes a good substitute for oats or wheat in any one of the combinations, and may also be used in the place of corn. Barley is easily grown in the more northerly climates and is sure to come into more general use as a feed. It can be planted in spring and the crop is to be counted on. Any farmer can take these combinations and alter them to suit his own locality and finish sheep for market with no risk whatever. It is only a matter of care if the right combination of feeds is given. • Combination hay and grain rack, with grain troughs so con- structed that they may be pulled to back of rack and grain placed in them without entering the pen. (U. S. Farmers' Bui. No. 810) Page Thirty-Five PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING The owner of a flock of sheep can do nothing more im- portant than to make a study of these feed combinations and adjust them to suit his own climate and crop conditions. Success is sure to follow a careful and accurate observance of these results. The Wool Pays When sheep are properly cared for it Feed Bill *s estimated by western sheep breeders and feeders that the wool pays for the feed and the carcass is clear profit. This estimate is based on the assumption that the flock receives the proper attention from the dropping of the lambs to time for marketing. Self Feeders Sheep breeders often inquire about Should not se^' feeders for sheep. We cannot urge ha TTcoJ to° strongly that farmers should not use self feeders. The death rate is far higher and the gains are never as satisfactory. Lamb creep with rollers for uprights. (U. S. Farmers' Bui. No. 810) Page Thirty-Six PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING Good Pastures a Basic Crop THE luxuriance of the pastures of a farm is a measure of its fertility. Pastures are frequently neglected as factors in agricultural prosperity. They should be regarded as a crop, the same as wheat or corn, and made to yield abundantly. "I cannot spare the space for sheep raising," says one farmer. "I need all my land for money crops." In the first place, land devoted to pastures, if it is made to yield abundantly, is not "spared." It con- stitutes a valuable crop which yields a profitable return on the investment, and if it is in leguminous forage, it is contributing, at the same time, to the necessary fertility for future crops. Furthermore, the animals grazing upon it, also contribute to the maintenance of soil fertility. The reader will no doubt remember John J. Ingalls apostrophe to grass, in which he says: "Should its harvest fail for a single year, famine would depopulate the world." The truth of this statement, once impressed upon us, forces us to respect the economic importance of this lowly herb. What Senator Ingalls really meant was that our live stock could not exist without grass and that we could not exist without the livestock. Poor pastures should not, and need not be tolerated, but this form of inefficiency is far too common. Losses through poor pastures are very apt to be ascribed to the sheep or other live stock which cannot thrive upon them. Unless sufficient fertility is maintained in the soil to nourish grasses, and the grasses actually raised, sheep cannot be expected to prosper any more than any other crop. Page Thirty-Seven PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING ^ , p Sheep are naturally grazing animals, Good Pastures ancj unjess they have adequate pastures Important they will not thrive. We have said before that they eat go per cent of all the species of weeds commonly found on the farm. Furthermore, they will clean up the hedgerows and the fence lines. But this should not be taken to imply that they can as well do without better pastures. Sheep deserve and need the best pastures we can make and will thrive in proportion to the quality of forage they get from the pasture. For sheep, grass should not be per- Value of mitted to grow too high, however. Native Grass Sheep need short sweet grasses. Wing says that the wild pasture grasses are best, and should be developed as much as possible. He also says that there are many kinds of pasture plants we can use to advantage, some of which are discussed in the following paragraphs. Rye is a sweet succulent pasture Rye Good and and is easily grown. It is not rich in Easy to Grow food value but is very wholesome ; and because of the ease with which it can be grown, is popular in all parts of the country. If the spring grain fields are put into winter rye, this will provide good feeding for the flock until time for planting the spring grain crop. Rye can be planted in any kind of waste place with good effect and will always pay for the trouble and cost. If the land is suitable, hairy vetch Vetch can be sown with the rye and the two and Rye will make a good food combination in spring. This will make a longer season for grazing and a better food, but cannot be so closely grazed in winter. A good plan will be to put part of the land into rye, and part into vetch and rye, and have a movable fence for a partition. Page Thirty-Eight PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING For late spring and early summer Alfalfa grazing, oats and alfalfa are good. and Oats Sow these crops on good soil and fertilize well if you would get good results. Sow them early and use liberal quantities of seed, about two bushels of oats and fifteen to twenty pounds of alfalfa seed to the acre. To graze these crops successfully, let the sheep run on them until eaten down close, then turn into other pastures or rotate with movable fences until a growth of oats and alfalfa gets started again. This can be repeated as often as the pasture is suitable for grazing. The clovers are among the best pas- Clovers ture cr°PSj ^rst ^>QCaus& tnev are ricri in food value for sheep and second, because they enrich the soil they grow on. Sheep that have these for the annual pasture are also less troubled with diseases. They nibble off the upper leaves, and get cleaner food. These plants, however, are rich in protein and would be too rich if grazed alone. When sown for pasture, orchard grass should be mixed with them. If grasses are to be had the animals will not overeat the richer foods. ~ . r n Wing observes that pasturing on UoJMotUraze clover is never acutely safe, but Clover Too the observance of a few simple rules Young will go far to insure safety. Do not graze young clover plants. Wait until they are almost to the blossoming stage. Do not graze hungry sheep on clover. Allow them to get almost filled up on other feeds before putting them into the cloverfield. Give them salt as soon as they are put upon pasture. Page Thirty-Nine PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING D , Rape belongs to the cabbage family, Rape and all branches of which fit well into the Cabbage diet of sheep. It yields well in food as Feeds value compared with other plants, but must be eaten green. Rape is gen- erally better for autumn, and will afford good pasturage after other pastures are gone. Sheep fattened on rape will require some grain to finish them solid. Dwarf Essex is the most popular variety. Cabbage makes a good feed, and where it can be grown successfully proves to be a cheap feed. Supple- mented with a small amount of grain it will be found useful in getting breeders ready for market. Every permanent pasture should Trees in have a few good shade trees in it for Pasture shelter from the sun in hot weather. Few breeders realize how much this means to the flock. Plenty of cool clean water is also important in the pasture. Panel and braces for making a portable sheep fence. (U. S. Farmers' Bui. No. 810) Page Forty PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING General Care and Management As has been stated above, sheep are Care of Sheep primarily grazing animals and must have pasture if they are expected to make reasonable returns. Open fields are not sufficient. Some permanent grasses must be available. Suitable houses should be provided, and feeding pens sufficient to give plenty of room without crowding. Plenty of fresh, clean water should be convenient at all times. The owner should mingle daily with the flock. He must know his sheep and let his sheep know him. Small amounts of feed should be given them daily even when they do not need it. This will keep them in better condi- tion and health and in good training. Do not forget to salt the sheep often. It will insure better health and greater returns at the market. Some feeders mix salt in with the feeds and find that it pays. Salt is not costly, but many feeders overlook its im- portance. Too much attention cannot be given to the flock at lambing time. A slight change in methods of feeding and housing may spell the difference between success and failure. The ewes should be dealt with gently and the lambs cared for from the time they are dropped. Dogs should be kept away from the flock at this time. Ewes frequently give birth to dead lambs because of fright from dogs. All ewes do not pay, and some of Culling the them must go to the block. Some of Flock them will prove non-breeding, others poor milkers, and still others light shearers, and any one of these defects will prove sufficient for condemnation. This weeding out process or culling is very necessary in order to build up a paying flock. Page Forty-One PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING It is also well to sell ewes before they are too old for the butcher. For mutton sheep this is usually about the fifth year of their age. After that they are not very profitable as breeders nor well suited for the block. Sheep are kept for wool, even the Shearing mutton breeds, and must be sheared once a year just at the opening of summer. The old hand shearing is a thing of the past, except in certain places in the West and in the case of the small farmer who keeps only eight or ten head and does not have access to a mechanical shearer. F. R. Marshall says: "The tags or dung locks should be removed from the fleece, and then it should be rolled up, not too tightly, skin side out, and tied with paper twine. Wool buyers prefer this method of tying to that done with wool boxes." Dockina Docking is the removing of the tails of of Lambs lambs and is an operation that every good sheep breeder attends to promptly and without fail. It is essential for lambs that are to be marketed. The tail is only a lodging place for burs, maggots and dirt and is sure to become a dead-weight and a drag upon the vitality of the growing animal. In fact, undocked lambs are discriminated against in the market. The operation is performed by means of a knife, chisel or hot iron, and should be attended to about a week before the work of castration. Cut the tail off about one inch from the body. Marshall says in Farmers, Bul- letin No. 840: "The lamb should be held with the rump resting on the top of a panel or pen partition, or upon a board if the hot irons are used. When docking with the hot iron the operator should work with the right hand, holding the tail in his left and pushing it toward the body. This will leave loose skin above the cut to close over the wound. Pine tar may be applied if flies are bad." Page Forty-Two PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING Castration Castration is an operation in lamb of Lambs production that is neglected only by the most careless or indifferent sheep raiser. Many uncastrated lambs still find their way to market, but principally from the small farms where up-to-date methods are not followed — never from the large farms or ranches where sheep raising is recognized as a business. These are discriminated against rather severely at times by buyers, whereas if castrated, they would have stood a fair chance of topping the market. Castrating should be done on a nice day, when lambs are from seven to fifteen days old. The lower third of the scrotum should be cut off and the testicles pulled straight out. I f both testicles cannot be felt the operation should be delayed. There should be no further difficulty except in unusual cases. A mixture of tallow and turpen- tine may be applied to stay off soreness that might otherwise develop. The proportions of tallow and turpentine should be such as to leave the mixture a soft paste or heavy liquid. Only a small quantity should be applied and that immediately to the wound. Th n It is estimated that there are about 1 ne L/og twenty-five million dogs in the United a Great States or one to every four persons, Hindrance and one for every two sheep. If dogs are properly guarded and kept closed in, they do not prove a menace to the sheep industry, but they are not kept confined as a general thing. Many a farmer who has waste land, and who formerly kept sheep to crop it has actually abandoned sheep raising because he felt that he would rather sacrifice this source of profit than try to cope with the dog nuisance. Many keepers of sheep have found a real field of use- fulness for the trained Collie. We do not go so far as to say that such a dog has no place in our economic scheme, even in times like these, when non-essentials in every form Page Forty-Three PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING are being sacrificed to the great objective and in support of the war. What we do urge is the passing of constructive legislation that will protect the few useful dogs as well as outlaw the great majority which do not and cannot serve any economic purpose, and which are a constant liability to the sheep-raising possibilities of the country. It would be an easy matter to con- Why Not Have trol this nuisance if public sentiment Dog Laws were in favor of a national dog law, whereby the owners of dogs would be required to pay for all damages done to livestock, but farmers have not yet asserted themselves in a co-operative way and in sufficient number to make their voices heard on this subject in the national capital. "Only one in seven farms of over twenty acres now supports sheep," says the Secretary of Agriculture in his annual report for 1916, "with an average of one sheep of shearing age to three acres of land." In proportion as the small farms in any community are stocked with sheep, the obvious necessity for state dog laws will manifest itself, and there is no reason to believe that sentiment in favor of pet dogs will outweigh the practical requirement for more sheep and wool in a time like this. New York State has passed such a law and we are informed it works well in most cases. Com- plaints have been adjusted in the majority of instances without legal procedure. It would be well for those interested to write to the State Department of Agriculture, Albany, N. Y., and secure a copy of the law. In Farmer's Bulletin 935, United A Uniform States Department of Agriculture, Dog Law entitled "The Sheep Killing Dog," we find valuable suggestions for a uni- form dog law, which should command the attention of our legislators in the various states. A reasonable tax is suggested, and certain definite legal rights to deal with Page Forty-Four PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING dogs known to kill sheep. It requires that all dogs be confined at night. This is a wise provision since it is so well known that dogs do most of their mischief at night. A world of sentiment is bound up Sheep with the history of the sheep industry. Husbandry A flock grazing on a hillside is a poem within itself, and it is to be hoped we will never lose the faculty of enjoying this beautiful sight. That modern commerce has helped to eliminate much of this original sentiment from the happy associations of the shepherd and his flock we must admit, but there is no doubt that the shepherd has more enjoyment from watch- ing the flock than any of us can ever have from the busy life as found in our centers of commerce. Page Forty-Five PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING Diseases of Sheep All animals are subject to certain diseases and this fact must be recognized by the owners of sheep. To deal with disease successfully one must keep advised of the latest remedies, and should, from time to time, write to his Experiment Station for such information. Wing in Sheep Farming in America — page 3 1 1 classifies diseases among sheep as follows : "First, there may be some external Sheep Diseases parasite, as the tick, louse, scab or foot- Classified rot (which is in a sense an external disease) . "Second, there may be some form of internal para- sitism. This may be worms in the stomach or intestines, in the throat or lungs, or encysted worms making a bladder in the brain. And one or another of these internal para- sites is the cause of most of the sickness among sheep. "Last, there may be some derangement of the digestion due to improper feeding, no feeding at all, or gorging with grain. And in some regions, among the class of sheepmen who feed sheep in winter, nearly all diseases are of this origin. External "Now as to the chance of cure: For Diseases external parasites cure is easy and cheap. For scab, lice, and ticks there is the dipping bath. Foot-rot is also of rather easy treatment. "These things are matters requiring timely and prompt treatment and are no cause for alarm whatever except as scab breaks out in the winter time in the middle of the feeding season, when it is costly to dip and the sheep have serious setback therefrom. Indeed, it is not just proper to class these external parasites as diseases, any more than fleas on a dog's back, though they produce disease if left unchecked. "The matter of internal parasites is much more serious/' Page forty-Six PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING Stomach The two most common internal Worms troubles we have to deal with in sheep are the stomach worm and the nodular disease. These are hard to cure, but rather easy to prevent if one goes about it in the right way. The stomach worm is dropped on the pasture in the feces, and in that way scattered through the entire flock. If it once infects a pasture, the pasture should be rotated about every year or two, and necessary remedies applied to clear the flock of the disease. If the skin about the eyes and mouth is thin and pale and paper-like, the lambs very likely are infested with this worm. The treatment is a tablespoonful each of gasoline and raw linseed oil in about six ounces of cow's milk for a lamb, and half as much again for a sheep. Three doses must be given to effect a cure — one a day for three days on an empty stomach. See Kleinheinz' "Sheep Management," page in. The rotation of pastures is imperative. Nodular The nodular disease is indicated by Disease a cough> a drooping head, and thriftless orgreaseless wool. Lambs become thin and shiftless, and the ewes lose weight and fail to respond to feeds. Medicines are not effective and cleanliness and rotation are necessary together with a thinning of the flock till all the disease is gone. Treating Constipation is indicated by strain- Internal m& an<^ distress in the attempt to pass Diseases feces> or dung- InJections of luke~ warm, soapy water should be given, and it will help if a tablespoonful of castor oil or milk of mag- nesia (hydroxid of magnesia) is given. White scours in lambs are caused by digestive disorder which usually result from mistakes in feeding the ewe, and hence are to be avoided largely by giving the ewe clean, wholesome feed and not changing the ration ab- Page Forty-Seven PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING ruptly. A lamb having white scours should be taken from the ewe and allowed only a little of the milk. This can best be accomplished by milking the ewe out before letting the lamb nurse. Milk of magnesia given as sug- gested for constipation will help to correct the disorder. Acute Indigestion sometimes seizes young lambs. It is marked by great distress and frothing at the mouth. Castor oil (a tablespoonful) is a good remedy. For Sore Eyes put a drop or two of a i6-per cent solu- tion of argyrol in the eyes once each day. This should be done with an ordinary medicine dropper. Navel III should be avoided by dipping the navel cord in a cup of the tincture of iodine soon after the lamb is born. For Scabs or Poc-like Sores on the lips and nose, apply a fairly strong solution of sheep dip after the sores have been rubbed open. Sheep, like other domestic animals, Dipping become infested with vermin — lice, ticks and other skin parasites — and must be constantly looked after. They should be dipped very soon after they have been sheared. Marshall says they should be dipped on the morning of a fair warm day. Sheep are delicate animals and will develop cold if they lie down at night wet and cool. Any standard dipping solution can be used as per directions given with the material. If the sheep have ticks they may require two dippings. The second should come about a month after the first. If sheep are allowed to graze too Avoid Bloating freely on alfalfa, they are apt to bloat, which often proves fatal. They thrive on pastures of native grass with heavy sprinkling of weeds or lespedeza and burr clover in more southern climates. Page Forty-Eight .S" si — (9 .W O f*~ y* PQ « II PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING By-Products of the Sheep THE inedible by-products of the sheep, as completely utilized by Armour and Company, are more valua- ble than those of either the steer or hog, considering their proportion to the carcass. Sheep pelts, of course, come first in value. This in- cludes the wool, which is valued not only for its fineness, but also for its length. Sheep skin is more generally used than any other one class of leather. It is used in shoes almost as much as calf. Chamois skins are today entirely made of sheep skin. The leather is used for bookbinding exclusively, for gloves, hatbands, suit cases, and a wide range of other articles. In the Armour wool houses the full -length of the wool is saved by taking it out, roots and all, by means of chemicals instead of by shearing. This wool is hand sorted according to length, fineness and color into more than fifty grades. It is then scoured to remove dirt and grease, after which it is dried, baled and sold as "scoured pulled wool" direct to manufacturers. In the process of scouring lanolin is obtained. This is a fatty substance largely used in face creams and ointments because of its soothing effect on the skin. Musical strings, clock cord and surgical ligature for sewing up wounds, as well as casings for little sausages, are made exclusively from the intestines of the sheep. There is no such thing as catgut violin string, that being merely an arbitrary name for the product of the sheep. Suprarenal in, the active principle of the suprarenal gland, just above the kidney, is extensively used in medi- cine. More than 130,000 sheep are required to make a pound. Page Forty-Nine PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING Pancreatin, another medicine, is made from the pan- creatic gland, and still another from the mammary glands. The thyroid gland (seat of goitre in humans) yields an important medicinal product. A class of oleo oil is made from the better grade of mutton tallow, and enters into the manufacture of oleo- margarine. Inedible greases are used in soaps. An important by- product of soap-making is glycerin, which is in great demand for the manufacture of nitro-glycerin and other explosives and war munitions. The blood, dried and ground, makes calf feed and fertilizer. Hide trim- mings make glue. Bones and other waste make tankage and fertilizer. The complete utilization of all by-products of the sheep and other meat animals has been found practicable only in the largest packing plants, and is one of the triumphs of large-scale operation. It is made possible by two con- siderations— the comparatively recent development of large-scale refrigerative control of highly perishable by- products and the enormous volume of those by-products handled. This wholesale utilization of by-products brings about a number of important economic results of benefit to the whole country, among which may be mentioned: 1 . The increased price which the packer is able to pay the farmer for his sheep and other live stock; 2. The more uniform and perfect meat which the large packer is able to sell the local butcher at a lower cost than that at which he could buy and kill it locally for himself; and 3. The employment of thousands of persons in the manufacture of these by-products, many of which would otherwise be discarded as of no value by the farmer himself or local butchers, who are even yet throwing them away as of no commercial value. Page Fifty PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING Table of Receipts at Seven Markets In Round Numbers at Chicago, Kansas City, Omaha, St. Louis, St. Joseph, Sioux City and St. Paul for 1917 and iqi6. MONTHS 1917 1916 GAIN Loss January . . 965 9OO 922,200 43 700 February 834 8OO 877,500 42,700 March 8OI,3OO 755,900 45,400 April 675,500 652,500 23,000 N/Iay 477 800 601 100 21 5 TOO June 516,100 722 400 2O6,IOO July 572,600 706,100 I33,5OO JUHJ.. . . August 726,000 1,109,600 384,600 September October November 1,259,000 1 ,449,600 853 100 1,500,900 1,723,200 1 ,059 600 241,900 273,^00 196 TOO December 879,000 919,800 40,800 Totals 10,011,100 11,642,800 1,631,700 Table Showing Range of Lamb Prices At Chicago During 1917 for Native, Western and Colorado Lambs, as Compiled by the Chicago Drovers Journal. MONTHS NATIVE WESTERN COLORADO January February — March $10.50 to $14.25 1 1 . oo to 1 5 . oo 0.75 to 15 .00 $ 9.50 to $14. 45 10.00 to 14.90 9 . 2 5 to 15. 70 $13.00 to $14.35 1 3. 50 to 14.90 1 1 50 to 1 5 50 April May June July 10. oo to 16.25 10.00 to *i9.oo 9 . oo to 1 7 . oo 9 . oo to 16.50 9. oo to 17.25 lo.oo to *i9.oo 10.00 to 16.75 13 .00 to 15.85 10.25 to 17.40 12.50 to *20.6o n.ooto 18.50 August 9.00 to 17. 10 14.00 to 17.75 September. . 1 1 . oo to 18.35 16.75 to 1 8. 60 - October 1 2 . OO tO 1 8 . 60 13 .50 to 1 8. 55 November . 1 2 . OO tO 17. 40 1 3 . oo to 1 8 oo December.. . 1 2 . OO tO I 7 . OO 1 1 .00 to 17. 10 I f TC *Record Prices. Page Fifty-One PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING List of Officers of the Various Sheep Breeders? Associations MERINO — Fine wool breeds of related ancestry, but different development. American Merino, Delaine, Rambouillet are best known breeds or strains. All Merinos produce short wool of fine quality, and all are "wrinkled" where the loose skin is bent into folds. American and Delaine-Merino Association, S. M. Cleaver, Secretary, Delaware, Ohio; American Rambouillet Sheep Breeders' Association, Dwight Lincoln, Secretary, Marysville, Ohio. SOUTHDOWN— Small sheep of mutton type. Mouse brown and gray markings, good feeders, middle wool class, popular. American Southdown Breeders' Association, F. S. Springer, Secre- tary, Springfield, 111. SHROPSHIRE— Mutton type, middle wool class, black nose and legs, larger than Southdown. Prolific, good feeders, good top- pers. American Shropshire Association, J. M. Wade, Secretary, Lafayette, Ind. OXFORD DOWN— Much like Shropshire in appearance and general utility; larger. Brownish gray markings. Oxford Down Record Association, W. A. Shafer, Secretary, Hamilton, Ohio. HAMPSHIRE DOWN— Mutton type, middle wool class. Black face and legs. Smaller than Oxford, larger than Shropshire, The American Hampshire Sheep Association, C. A. Tyler, Scretary, 36 Woodland Avenue, Detroit, Mich. DORSET — Medium size, mutton type, horned, prolific, hardy. Good for early lamb production. Continental Dorset Club, Edith Chidester, Secretary, Mechanicsburg, Ohio. CHEVIOT — Good mutton breed, medium size. Distinctive appearance with snow-white head and legs. American Cheviot Society, Edward A. Standford, Secretary, Cooperstown, N. Y. LEICESTER — Large, long-wool breed. Leicester Breeders' Association, A. J. Temple, Secretary, Cameron, 111. COTSWOLD — Large, long-wool breed, curly fleece. American Cotswold Association, F. W. Harding, Secretary, Waukesha, Wis. LINCOLN — Long-wool breed. Largest of all English breeds. National Lincoln Sheep Breeders' Association, Bert Smith, Secre- tary, Charlotte, Mich. Page Fifty-Two PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING ROMNEY MARSH or KENT— Long-wool breed, but not so well known as many of the other long-wool breeds. This breed is adapted more to lowlands, and is said to resist especially the foot rot so rornmon among most breeds when grazing wet lands The wool is long and soft and the yield high. It ranks well as a mutton type. Romney Marsh Association, Mark Havenhill, Ames, Iowa. CORRIEDALE— May be classed as a long-wool breed. Was developed in New Zealand from the Lincoln-Merino crosses, and is intermediate between these two types. Smaller than the Lincoln and larger than the Merino. The wool is long and silky. Has great promise as a dual purpose sheep. American Corriedale Association, M. R. Johnston, Secretary, Wheatland, Wyoming. Page Fifty-Three PROGRESSIVE SHEEP RAISING REFERENCES Publications of the United States Department of Agriculture, available for free distribution by the Department: "Sheep Scab," Farmers' Bulletin No. 713. "The Sheep Tick and Its Eradication by Dipping," Farmers' Bulletin No. 798. "Equipment for Farm Sheep Raising," Farmers' Bulletin No. 810. "Farm Sheep Raising for Beginners," Farmers' Bulletin No. 840. "Breeds of Sheep for the Farm," Farmers* Bulletin No. 576. "The Sheep Killing Dog," Farmers' Bulletin No. 652. For Sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C.: "The Management of Sheep on the Farm," Department Bulletin No. 20 — Price 10 cents. "Domestic Breeds of Sheep in America," Department Bulletin No. 94 — Price 25 cents. "The Wool Grower and the Wool Trade," Department Bulletin No. 206 — Price 1 5 cents. "Features of the Sheep Industries of United States New Zealand, and Australia Compared," Department Bulletin No. 313 — Price 10 cents. "Our Present Knowledge of the Distribution and Importance of Some Parasitic Diseases of Sheep and Cattle in the United States' Bureau of Animal Industry Circular No. 193 — Price 5 cents. BOOKS ON SHEEP "Productive Sheep Husbandry" Includes a full account of the breeds. W. C. Coffey (Lippincott) "Western Live Stock Management," E. L. Potter, Oregon (MacMillan Sz Company). 1 20 pages on sheep — Good on range conditions. "Judging Live Stock," John D. Craig (Kenyon Printing &z Mfg. Co., Des Moines, la.) Twenty-five pages on Sheep — very good. "Principles and Practice of Judging Live Stock." Gay (MacMillan 6z Co.) Thirty pages on sheep. Page Fifty- Four PROGRESSIVE S H'E EP RAISING "The Winter Lamb," Miller, Miller & Wing U.,EY'V/ing Publishing Co., Mechanics- burg, Ohio). Seventy 'pages.' "Sheep Farming," John A. Craig (MacMillan & Co., New York). 302 pages. "Sheep Farming in America," Joe Wing (Breeders, Gazette, Chicago, 111.) "Sheep Management, Breeds and Judging," 326 pages, 101 Illustrations. Frank Kleinheinz, University of Wisconsin. BOOKS ON BREEDS "Sheep Breeds and Management," John Wrightson (Vinton & Co., London.) "Types and Breeds of Farm Animals," C. S. Plumb (Ginn & Co.) 122 pages on sheep. "Modern Sheep Breeds and Management, 'Shepherd Boy'." (American Sheep Breeders, Chicago). 331 pages. "Breeding Farm Animals," F. R. Marshall (Breeders, Gazette). Eleven pages on Sheep. "Types and Classes of Live Stock," H. W. Vaughan, Iowa (R. S. Adams & Co., Columbus, Ohio). Seventy-two pages on Sheep— Very fine. "The Breeds of Live Stock," C. W. Gay, Perm. (MacMillan Co.) Sixty-five pages on Sheep. BOOKS ON FEEDS "Productive Feeding of Farm Animals," F. W. Woll (Lippincott). "Management and Feeding of Sheep," Thomas Shaw (Orange Judd, & Company, New York). 471 pages. "The Feeding of Animals," W. H. Jordan (MacMillan Co., New York). "Feeds and Feeding," Henry & Morrison (The Henry Morrison Co., Madison, Wise.) Sixty pages on Sheep. "First Principles of Feeding Farm Animals," C. W. Burhett (Orange Judd & Company, New York). Eighteen pages on Sheep. "Sheep Feeding and Farm Management," Doane (Ginn & Company). Page Fifty-Five II II ti c< (X 5 •tiS JO « 5s •n e 14 DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED] LOAN DEPT. This book is due on the last date stamped below, or on the date to which renewed. Renewals only: Tel. No. 642-3405 Renewals may be made 4 days prior to date due. Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. # LD2lA-30m-10,'73 (R3728slO)476— A-30 c Univer*. Bt. •ay/a Pat, '6/78 Off. 380878 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY