OCR Text |
Show GOVERNMENT SHEEP ! FARr.l experiments! Several Important Results Obtained Ob-tained on Idaho Ranch. Flock Handled in Same Manner as Are All Similar Bands in Hands of Wyoming Stockmen Work to Be Extended. (Prepared by the United States Department Depart-ment of Agriculture.) Several results of importance to western sheep men have been ascertained ascer-tained by experiments at the government govern-ment sheep ranch near Dubois, Idaho, which has been in operation two years. Formerly it was cuslomary for range sheep men to discard ewes which did not bear lambs when two years old. Extensive investigations by t lie depart-mon depart-mon of agriculture have developed i that such ewes are just as valuable for ' future breeding as those which bear ' lambs as two-year-olds. Individual records are kept on the government sheep ranch relative to the weight of fleece, length of fleece, char- acter of fleece, fineness of liber and ! mutton quality of each animal, while 1 detailed account, is maintained of the ' offspring of each ewe. The particular ! utility of the results obtained arises ' from the fact that the flock is handled just as are all similar bands of sheep in the hands of Wyoming stockmen. Kxperiments aru being conducted to j develop a type of sheep more suitable to the western range conditions thati the types now prevalent. It is hopoo to extend this work in both rmittor, ' conformation and length and weight o fleece. There are at present about l.fiiMi head of purebred Rambnnillets, Lincoln Lin-coln Itnmbouillels, ' Cotswold Riim-bouillets, Riim-bouillets, Leister Ramliouillets and Romney Rambouillets on the government govern-ment ranch. Crossbreeding expert men ts are being conducted with all these breeds and crosses, as well a? the use of purebred Corriedales, which have been mated with crossbred eweii |