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Vol. XIX.
GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 1910
No. 49.
U V
SELECTION OF A
FOUNDATION FLOCK.
(By Donald A. Green.)
Before attempting to become breed-
ers of pure bred stock we should con-
sider several tilings: Are we to become
breeders or just multipliers? If the
latter, we have already far too many
and not enough of the first mentioned.
Are we capable of becoming successs-
ful breeders? Have we the instinct to
select and mate successfully? With
some this instinct is acquired by ex-
perience with stud. Hock or herd, with
others it is born in them.
In selecting the foundation (lock, we
must be very, very careful, for a mis-
take at the start may multiply a hun-
dredfold, and mean disaster in the end.
First, we must consider from the
mutton and wool standpoint, for
are not the woolen mill and the
butcher's block the liiial test?
Second, we must take up breed
type and the several other
thing's that together compose the
important points in a founda-
tion* flock. As my experience
has been with Shropshires—
both a mutton and a wool breed
—I will use them to illustrate
my discussion though the same
ideas will apply to any mutton
and wool breed ecept the breed
type.
First, the mutton form—for I
think this the most important
at the present day. For a good
mutton form, we must have a
very wide sprung rib; a straight
spine (no drop behind tin
shoulders); shoulders smooth
on top and wide in proportion
to the rest of the body; the
chest deep and full, denoting a
strong constitution; the loin
wide; the hips broad, carrying
the width' well hack to the tail-
head, and dropping much from
a line with spine; the leg-of-
mutton full and well-flesh-
ed down to hocks; the neck
short and smoothly fitted to
shoulder; also, the body should
be well covered with natural
flesh all over, and especially the 
nack and loin. The face should be
short and broad, the legs short and
straight, setting 011 each corner. These
latter points denote finality.
To illustrate what I mean by th<^
legs setting on each corner, 1 will re-
late an illustration made by "Uncle
Dick" Sto e to a city man who didn't
know very much about sheep. (This
happened at the Missouri state fair
year before last.) Dick was showing
this city chap the proper way a sheep's
legs should set on. Said he; "See this
imported lambs' legs set on each cor-
ner supporting a good leg-of-mutton
while this here Missouri lambs' legs
all come out of the same hole and his
owner has trained him to stand with
them spart until they have grown
crooked." I think quality might also
be mentioned along with gcod mutton
form, since it plays so important a
part, both in the market and the show
ring.
To have what we call "lots of qual-
ity," a sheep must be very compact,
symmetrical, features refined, but not
delicate, the bone short and strong
but not out of proportion with the rest
of the body. I have noticed that, ex-
cept ir. rare instances, our American-
bred sheep tend to have a tiner bone
each succeeding generation, unless
very close care is given to the feeding
(then it is noticeable but not so clear-
ly), while the sheep coming from Great
Britain have a much stronger bone, in
some instances inclining to coarse-
ness, but their offspring show the
same tendency as the American bred.
Two things may account for this; Cli-
matic and domestic conditions. Dar-
win. in his great work, "The Origin of
Species," says that sheep are more
quickly affected by changes of climate
whose type is tight, but nothing else
for neither is desirable. Several points
go to make tip the breed type: Gen-
eral form, shape of the ear and head
fleece, color of the hair, etc., all of
which must be taken into consider-
ation. You hear people say that a
certain sheep "had the breeding be-
hind him." They may have two mean-
nings for this: One that his ancestors
were prize-winners or the producers
of prize-winners; the other, that the
sheep may have come from some noted
stud flock whose owner had the rare
gift to mate and select successfully
For instance, at the last international
a French Rambouillet ram sold to the
United States government for $4^5. In
everything but breeding this ram was
a miserable joke. At the 190ti interna-
CHAMPION RAMBOUILLET RAM.
and domestic conditions than any
nther of our domestic animals. If this
be true, we must select animals with
heavy bone, even though they seem to
be a little coarse.
As stated before, wool is an impor-
tant factor; therefore, we want as
many pounds as possible so long as we
can keep the quality. In examining a
sheep's fleece, the first thing we want
to look for is evenness of length, den-
sity and quality all over the body
keeping a sharp outlook for hemp or
hair and black fiber. For good weight
of wool, the sheep should have as long
a fiber and as dense as possible, with
wool all over the body, legs and face
Breed Tpye—Something that has
been the ruin of more than one good
stud, flock or herd. Too many people
let breed-type and breeding make fools
of them. Breed type must be consid-
ered, but do not discard an animal for
the simple reason that the type does
not exactly suit you, for an animal
tional, a Shropshire ram lamb sold for
$305. This lamb possessed everything
that a Shropshire breeder would ask
for—breeding, type, mutton form, the
fleece and the quality. There were
other lambs that went through the
sale ring, with just as good breeding,
that did not bring $40. The same day
that the Rambouillet ram sold, there
were far better rams sold—except in
breeding—that didn't bring $100
Breeding is all right—but be sure to
buy some sheep with it. We often see
breeders leaving everything else out
but one, two or three points, but they
sooner or later e"o out of the business.
Take everything Into consideration.
Those who have bad experience witli
stud flocks know that it is seldom that
we find a ram or a ewe that are pro-
ducers of both good rams and good
ewes, while it is common to find a
good ram breeder or a good ewe
breeder; therefore, we must let ex-
perience guide us in our selection. A
ewe showing too much masculinity ot
a ram too much femininity are to be
avoided, although they be suitable in
every other way; for such animals are
iipt to produce offsprings that are not
uniform.
The ewe should look like a ewe,
having that timid, feminine appear-
ance; the ram should be the opposite
showing a bo^, masculine appear-
ance, strong head, neck and shoulders
but not too much out of proportion
with the rest of the body. A little
caorseness is not so objectionable in a
ram. I like to see a ram that is ready
to knock his shepherd over, or whip
ti e other ram from the feed; then I
know his lambs will stand the knocks
that would kill the lambs from a rain
that is willing to let some other ram
  have his share of the feed.
In selecting ewes for my re-
serve breeding flock, 1 use this
system: I stand off and note
their general form and breed
type, also that they have a de-
termined, stylish' action, and
feminine appearance; I eamine
their mutton form, as described
in the beginning—if the mutton
form is right the constitution is
sure to be right also; I examine
the fleece for points described
on the side midway between the
hips and shoulder, on the hip
well down on the thigh, 011 the
belly, on the top of the head, and
011 the cheek. In the ram I look
for the same things, except that
1 watch out for scurr or horns,
and see that he shows plenty of
masculinity, as I have before de-
scribed. If a sheep lacks in one
single point don't put it in your
foundation flock.
Now, in conclusion, a few
don'ts:
Don't stand back because of a
few dollars when you find a ram
or a ewe that suits you—the best
are by far the cheapest in the
end.
Don't let any man have his
choice of your ewe flock, or he
will be selling you stud rams
the first thing you know.
— You must guard against men
You must guard against the men
who have used registeied rams 011 un-
registered flocks and then offer their
ram iambs or yearlings at a low price
Usually they say their sheep are pure
bred all right, but some of the pedi-
grees have been lost or not kept up
You can use your own judgment when
such statements are made. By using
a ram from such flocks you are indi-
rectly denying the fact that the pres-
ent improved breeds of mutton sheep
are the result of nearly a century of
most careful selection of the best pure
bred rams. The present high standard
is a result of that work, and a con-
tinuation of such selection means fur-
ther improvement but using rams
from the above mentioned flocks is not
doing your best and means going
backward. There is great satisfaction
and full assurance of largest returns
from your flock when you purchase a
first class registered ram from an old
(Continued on Page 16.)