SHEEP BREEDING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1655, 23 January 1913, Page 8

SHEEP BREEDING.

PRODUCING FOUR-TEATED EWES. An interesting article from. the pen of Sir A. G. Hell, formerly■ geologist, of tho Dominion of. Canada, who lins been conducting some iiiiportnnt work in sheenbieeding in his farm in Nova Scotia, appears-, in a recent issue of : "Science." 'iwclve i.voars ago he determined to originate, h breed of sheep that would' have four or cix'teats, and that would produce twins at each birth. . He observed tnat .-some ewes.have four nipples, two of 'which- were of the usual size and situated in the usual place, while the other two w-ero: sinall and undeveloped, and yielded no milk. ■'.'■""■ •By mating'four-liippled ewes with four"mppled rams and careful selection of the progeny, lie attempted to produce a fournipplecl breed of sheep.. He noted in 1890 that the proportion of sheen having four nipples: was larger among- the twin-bear-:' ing than the singlo-b-stiriug ewes, and this raised the question as to whether there is any correlation between these characteristics., if Ihi- lour-teated. ewes :wero found to.liar twins, lie wondered if tho. multitea ted owes would beir litters at each Urtlt. ;V 1 ... i- ..

A' twin-bearing breed that could nurture life.- j-ounjr fromtfour or more functional eats .;would be valuable, especially in \'ova- Scotia, where feed: is costly-and rinte'rs -loiik- Such a breed would also 10 very' profitable in Kentucky as well,' novided tlf.twin lambs could be madei) attain, the fame weight as a -.single' nmb by/the iiiohllrof July. ■'■.-.' Sir. Alexander Graham Bell started his liosfc ■ important sheep-breeding experin.cnts in ISDO, and succeeded in producng in a very few-years a variety: of ewes vhicli had "n& ! , t\ normal' condition four eats, of .nearly eqhaL, size; all 'yielding: nilk. ; The four-Hippled strain was. nob •lowly'evolved-'by .the, persistent muting if sheep having extra nipples of small uz'e, but the change.sprang suddenly into ixisieheb. He soon discovered that itHvas possible to nick up here andjthero from Hear-by farmers ewes with four function-, in™, icamniae already,fully developed. Tho idditioivof theso ewes,to .the Hock'materially hastened the desired result. ■ ; .■ '.Keversiou'seldom occurred, and the foui'toatcd strain was k cstablished. These owes were as..fertile-as'ordinary sheep if ..not ratti'e'so.' Host'of the twins were some-: what small at.birth., but by actual weight were found l to attain full size and weight, equal to single lambs .by, autumn; .Thus Sir I .Alexander, .informs ; uS,, "a breed, of sheep had'..been produced which/, could' successfully" l rear ,';twins." Fivc-nipplcd • lambs .began to appear in the flock ;:then si'x-hipplcd : ones were- produced; occasion- - ally there was' a sßveri-niripled one,;and, .oven eight wbi'e.noticed, - Six-nippled ewes: arc.extremely rate,j only two having been found by .Sir Alexander. that ;.wero not. related .to his fiockl By selection and mat-., ing 'to: produce more- than four -nipples by :1!!05-the. number, of six-nippled,lambs', rose to.approximately 25 per..cent.',. In *l!)n, l :so.per : cent.'of--th.3.lambs catne with -six,■-.tcots;' ahdin 1912.'' the percentage amounted, to *53. G. .": . .' V : v' 'V.'-.'•:•

■ ;.Sixty, per 'ctirit. ,'of the. lambs :born in 1912 from-.thrda-ycar-old ewes were twins., -Many ewe'knits Inroduce'twins the.first time. Sir 'Alciamler believes' the' sixnipplcti "stocky will ultimately, tiirn out io hi tv.'iji-li'cari.ni,'wlicn they; become'fully mature. , Twiii-liearing, .ewes -are 'on', the average heavier than single bearing ewes. | 'Therefore.light'• ewes will be ./weeded'out.; The pasture.i's'at,its best in October, and is'not,"So good later on.; To secure tho 'greatest'numberi of,j;wins,:;Sir v -Alexander has his ewes in prime physical-condition in' the'-foil; .when the.matins. spasoiv_ ar-. rives.:'.;l'i*a twiii-bbaring owes often show a marked:and even, ; sudden dropping off ill weight vritliin twpior;three wccks.'after mating/'whicliTys-fiotifovuitl- in.thsioase. of the .-nveragj single-bearing owe. ,For twin-bearing; hoi suggests, that j it -would to well: in'the spring to. retain onlytnose lambs that arc undor the average weight at'birth,"ami- iu : the ; autumn- to-select froriil'thpsplthat. have attained .more .than -tho avernge'Svoiglit., : .■:,/'■',