CROSS-BREEDING IN SHEEP AND ITS PROBABLE RESULTS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 161, 18 April 1874, Page 2

CROSS-BREEDING IN SHEEP AND ITS PROBABLE RESULTS.

The following letter appeared in the Melbourne Economist of a recent date :— “ Sir,—There is nothing in my opinion requires so much careful attention and study by our graziers, as the subject of crossing, and unless some definite arrangement is made by the graziers themselves to restrict the crossing to certain pure removes from the original breeds, all their present care and the great expense they have been at in importing pure stock will eventually avail them little, as from indiscriminate crossing, sheep will lose all distinctive marks, and the character of the wool become so altered as to render it difficult, and in many instances impossible to tell w’hat the original cross was. Now, in order to carry out crossing to a successful issue, great care and judgment require to be exercised, and each breeder should keep a regular stud book, in which should be entered the pure breed and pedigree and age of the ram, also the same particulars of the ewe. The first lambs of this cross should be firebranded on the side of the nose with one bar or stroke, also one punch hole or notch in ear. This will denote the first remove. The second remove should be denoted by two bars on face and two punch holes and notches in ear, and an additional bar and mark for every successive remove from the original pure breed; these marks should be placed upon the lambs at weaning time. I would also suggest that the inspector of sheep in each district should keep a book, in which all owners of sheep in such districts should register the different crosses made in their flocks, and have one universal distinguishing mark for the various removes. Quarterly returns could be made by the district inspectors to the Chief Inspector in Melbourne, who would be able to tell from his register exactly the number of the different breeds and crosses in the various districts, and classification and breeding would be reduced to something like system and order; and a purchaser could at any time, by examining the face of the sheep, tell at once the number of removes from the original pure breed. As this is what I consider the commencement of a new era in sheep breeding, unless some regular systefli is introduced, and carefully followed up, we will in all probability drift back to the same state of confusion and mixing of breeds that formerly existed, and from which we are now only getting clear. At no previous time has our wool assumed such a reputation for soundness and character as at present ; but even now in long-stapled wools, it is becoming almost impossible for the most experienced wool-sorter to tell, with any degree of certainty, the original crosses in many of the samples presented to him. Another point I would direct attention to, and. which I

would impress upon the notice of owners of long-woolled sheep and crosses between them and merinos, and that is, the tendency the wool has to run kempy, or to be filled with short wdite hairs, such as are on the face and legs of the sheep; these kemps exist more in crosses between Leicester and merinos than in any other cross I have observed. Kempy wool is much objected to by manufacturers, in consequence—first of the short white hairs, presenting ends which stick out in the yarn; and, secondly, the uneven color presented, when the material is dyed, from the kemps refusing to take the dye like the wool. Kempy sheep should never be used for breeding purposes, but should be fattened off and sold. One more remark I will offer: In crossing from pure long-wooled rams, the merino ewes should be selected, not only for density and fineness of wool, but also for size of carcase, otherwise great danger and numerous losses are likely to arise at lambing time, from the larger sizes of lambs to what the merino has been accustomed to have; the cross should never be made, in my opinion, with, maiden ewes, but with those that have had one or two lambs previously. I believe as crossing extends in the Western districts of Victoria, much of disease that formerly existed among the merinos will disappear, and the sheep generally become stronger constitutionea. In conclusion, I will urge upon the woolgrowers generally, the necessity that at present exists for definite action in this matter, and hope the time is not far distant when each district will have its own distinct type or breed of sheep.— I am, sir, yours &c., Richard Bennett, Belfast, Port Fairy, Nov., 24 1873.”