MANAGEMENT OF SHEEP.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 301, 29 August 1908, Page 6

MANAGEMENT OF SHEEP.

At the International Conference of Sheepbreeders, held last month at Newcastle-on-Tyne, Mr Alfred Mansell (Shrewsbury) read a very interesting paper on the management of sheep. He said it should always be remembered that the best animals could be easily spoiled by bad management, and that success as a breeder of pedigree sheep could only be achieved by strict attention to all details that made for success, paying particular attention to avoid foot-rot and ensure the health of the lambs after weaning, so that the best growing period in a sheep’s life was not jeopardised by injurious parasites. In founding a flock, the great object should, in his opinion, be to procure a uniform lot of ewes of the same type, and that could be best achieved by selecting ewes from one or two flocks at most; but they should be very careful to select from old-established and carefully-bred flocks. Too much importance could not be attached to making a “ correct start.” Many breeders know to their cost the result of a bad foundation, and it took many generations to eliminate the bad points that existed in the foundation stock. Once possessed of a good ewe flock, exhibiting uniformity of character and type, the greatest difficulty was overcome, and by judicious mating a long and successful show and saleyaid career might be counted upon. In choosing a ram, Mr Mansell said that care should be taken to secure one that was strong' in the points where the ewes were weak, but the breeder must not overlook the fact that it was imperative to secure an animal with a robust constitution, good chest development, wellsprung ribs, wide loin, straight spine, good underline, strong bone, with legs well placed at each corner, or as near to that ideal as possible. In no case should fashion lead the breeder to forget that the ultimate object in breeding sheep was to produce | mutton and wool at a minimum of 1 cost.

It sometimes happened that ’ ■when the breeder of pedigree sheep had experienced depressed markets and a short foreign demand, be might be tempted to economise by using inferior sires, with disastrous results to the future of his flock and his next year’s returns. The true breeder was the man who kept steadily on through bad or good times and realised that it was suicidal to his interests to introduce an indifferent sire'into his flock. Some were apt to place a small value on blood and lineage, and were satisfied with their ideal in form, symmetry, and type, -without any guarantee as to its being well descended. Others, again, relied too much on pedigree, and did not pay sufficient attention to constitution, conformation, symmetry, and rent-paying qualities, and took it for granted that a well - bred animal was without doubt the acme of perfection. To be a successful breeder, neithen-of those theories must be adopted, but, at the same time, experience had proved that along line of pure breeding secured a fixity of type and the power of transmitting their characteristics to their progeny -which an animal of short pedigree did not possess. Mr Mansell -went on to say that the breeder should spare no trouble in the selection of ewes to add to the flock, and the ultimate choice should receive confirmation by repeated observation, guided to a certain extent by the individual breeding in each case. Speaking generally, he was of opinion, after a somewhat lengthened business experience, that there was no class of farm stock which gave a better return than a good flock of sheep well managed. The land was made more productive and profitable, and in a great many cases the folding of sheep on the land was the only means of growing good crops. Successful management must always be associated

with order and system. He asked his hearers to realise that in the majority of cases bad luck meant bad management. They should take every precaution to minimise possible and unforeseen dangers by exercising as much forethought as would suggest itself to a prudent man, and then ho was quite satisfied that the old adage that the sheep possessed a golden hoof would be fully borne out.