Page 22 Advertisements Column 1

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21733, 16 March 1936, Page 22

AUCTIONS. H. MATSON AND CO. ' CHOOSE the bight type GF RAM. WHOSE who go to ram sales to buy * fail Into two categories—owners •t oura-broeding flocks, and owners of kept solely for cross-breeding, though there has arisen in the last 10 years u tendency for combining purehreedlng and cross-breeding, i.e., a portion of the ewe flock is mated to rams of'the breed in order to raise bred ewe iambs for future breed*ne points that a buyer of rams has lo consider can be summarised; How many are required? What breed or type shall be pur chased? What price shall be paid? When the ewe flock has been made Up, most of us go by the standard of working one ram for every 50-60 ewes. TMs standard is reliable enough, though shearling and tw9-shear rams in correct breeding conditions can deal with a larger allocation (70-80 ewes), provided that the flock is not running over a very large range. It is most important that those who Own a small number of ewes, requiring only one ram, should arrange to borrow or exchange to get a second ram in the event of the first proving sterile. SECURING FLOCK TYPE. The question of breed and type is Of paramount importance. The owner of a purebred flock should always be striving to Improve his flock in type, Olid to get it as uniform as possible in character. This means that if there is some variation in type in the ewes they should be sorted before mating, and each group put with rams Of a type likely to sire progeny better charactered than the ewes. The building up of a large ewe flock of uniform type & a highly interesting anH skilled occupation, and, naturally, the shepherd—who is by his experience of tending sheep of a certain breed am expert observer—is usually ■tui deservedly consulted when pur- . chases are made. TO establish a flock of uniform type In a relatively short time there is no sounder method than to buy stock rams from as few flocks as possible. Yet some breeders prefer to bring home rams out of half a dozen different flecks every breeding season, and then wonder why their ewe type continues to be so variable! The man who is going to crossbreed bis ewes has first to decide what breed of ram to buy. He may go to the ram sales with an open mind, reiving on the advice of the friends he meets there, or on the prices, and the Section on offer. It is high time that we began to get out ideas less confused on the matter of crossbreeding in sheep. We should go to a ram sale with a definite intention of buying rams of a certain breed. Consideration that should influence our choice arc, briefly as follows: TYPE OF EWES KEPT.—A very small type of ewe should not be mated to a ram of a very large breed, for the obvious reason that risks of loss at lambing time are increased. WHAT PRICE SHOULD BE PAID? —An individual ram should be the sire of 50-80 lambs annually. Assuming that we raise 60 lambs per ram worked, let us see how the price paid for a ram affects the cost of a lamb at birth. A cheap ram, costing £3, npin Is per lamb; a moderatelypriced ram, costing £6, means 2s per head on each lamb, a.ram bought for means 3» per head on each lamb at birth, i.eT 2s more per head than the lambs sired by a cheap ram. But how easily there can be a difference of Ss or even 10s per bead difference in the value of these lambs when they arc sold. We arc anxious to suggest that we are too niggardly on the price we are prepared, to pay for rams. The ram breeder has had rather a lean time lately, but be must refrain from offering fer srie inferior rams, worth only a Tew price, and not fit for breeding: tad. c*i the other side, buyers should I how. by the nrices that they are prepared to pay. that they appreciate the necessity fer purchasing rams of good type.

H. MATSON and CO. ARE PREPARED TO SELECT AND PURCHASE RAMS ON BEHALF OF BUYERS WHO ARE UNABLE TO MAKE A PERSONAL VISIT TO THE FAIR. TELEGRAMS: MATSONS, CHRISTCHURCH. I I BUILD UP YOUR EWES FOR A BETTER LAMBING. Low markings are often blamed on to the rams, but -usually the trouble can be traced to the nutrition of the ewcA “Flush ! ng”—that is, building up the ewe with rich feed, such as young clover, green cats, etc., prior to the mating—is a regular cart of sheep management with New Zealand flcckmasters. The object Is to stimulate the •'condition" or ovulation of the ewe. which makes for more effective •enricc. REMOVE THE CHECK ON LAMBING. An autumn like the present, when our ewes need a well-balanced grass ration with a certain amount of dry feeding, makes it very hard for farmers to get their ewes into proper condition. The heavy autumn growth and the wet weather has been responsible for a lot of scour, which can only be expected. “LIXIT” will go* a long way to straightening up your flock with a view to the fact that the rams need to be put out any time from the 20th March onwards. “LIXIT* is the correct supplement, and is specially valuable in increasing, wool production, improving lambs, and keening the flock generally healthy. "LIXIT’ is very low in cost. Order m consignment, and you will prove to yourself that ’ over the, lambing alone LIXIT - repays the cost of a year’s supply overhand over again. OBTAINABLE EVERYWHERE.