MARKETING SHEEP AND LAMBS

Otago Witness, Issue 2815, 26 February 1908, Page 22

MARKETING SHEEP AND LAMBS

An American farmer, referring 1 to the marking of sheep and lambs, write?: "I have adopted the following 1 6imple method of marking my lambs : Commencing -w ith. this year (1907). in the spring, after selecting 6uch lambs as I want to keep for ray own use I clip off- the tip of the right ear. The 6econd year I clip off the tip of the left ear. The third year out a slit in the right ear. The fourth year cut a slit in

the left ear. The fifth rear cut tuo slito in the right ear. The advantage of this is that I can tell at a glance the age o r any sheep in the flock. Unless it <s an extra good one, I never keep a sheep that is over fiv« years old. i select and, mark as above the ewe lambs when about throo months old. At this age I can judge about what the quality of -wool will be, which I always try to have as near uniform as possible. Such wool always commands the best price in the marktet. And by selecting •the best ewe lambs from twins from good mothers the large majority of my breeding owes produce twins, and where sheep are well cared for this is much more profitable than raising angle lambs. At shearing- time if any cheep has nob proved a good mother, or & profitable shearer, I generally mark such a sheep by clipping off the ends of both ears,"