STRONG BONE IN SHEEP.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 654, 25 March 1914, Page 6

STRONG BONE IN SHEEP.

It is very evident that the Homecountry breeders pay much more attention to size of bone in tne Romney Marah sheep than is the case on this

aide of the wov!<\ All the most re cent importations m»d j by Mr A. E. T. Payne., of Fairra View are bigboned pui'i-y, y.rd the charnpion ram of this breed, at the 1912 nhow at Aahford. ir, Kent, which was purchased by Mr Payne, and brought out to this country a few months ago, is not only the biggest boned specimen of this breed out here, but is the biggest boned ram of any breed that I have ever seen. Moreover, the shape and size of his feet are in keeping with this great bone. The latter feature is an important matter in connection with the Romney, and judging from what comes under my notice, is to a great extent being lost sight of in New Zealand. Numbers ii New Zealand breeders keep the bone about right in their sheep, but ignore the size of the foot. Widespread digits, and big, hard horned foet are too important a feature in this' breed to be neglected. Whilst on the subject of the feet of the Romney, I learn that Mr Payne in going through all the leading flocks in Kent, noticed that the fl6ck-mas-ters on the higher lands were not so insistent upon the black foot as thoße on the Marsh proper. It is a much greater fault in a ram of any breed to be light boned than it is, to be coarße and big in the bone, for a lignt boned ram is out of character, and will be lacking in strength. Strength being a characteristic of male?, flock-masters should fook for prominent development in special parts of the frame, as well as in the general make up. As it is from the male that the offspring is to inherit the body structure, which indicates strength, it is safe to assume that no strength of the female can compensate* for weakness in the male. Australasian.