CHOOSING THE RAM.

Matamata Record, Volume X, Issue 884, 19 December 1927, Page 6

CHOOSING THE RAM.

THE IDEAL ANIMAL. Importance to Flock. It is not too much to claim for the ram that he is 75 per cent, of the flock when one takes into consideration the crop of lambs that he will sire,- and upon which (if he is prepotent) he will stamp his character and type.' Therefore, the purchase of thc ram ... should not be undertaken in the spirit of ‘‘anything will do so long as he gets lambs. ” That is a fatal policy to adopt, and one that can lead only to great disappointment and the failure of the flock to improve. Is he to be a ram used chiefly for breeding show sheep, to get rains or ram lambs, or merely as a ‘ ‘ commercial sheep’’ for the begetting of the ordinary type of commercial flockmastei' ’s rent-paying owes, or to cater for the fat lamb trade? If show sheep or ram breeding is the object aimed at the flockmaster will purchase a two-shear or shearling ram, for then he knows with some degree of certainty what his sheep looks like when grown up, and if he is a two-shear ho will have been used, and thus an opportunity is afforded to see the lambs that he has sired.

For crossing or for the fat lamb trade most flockmasters are in agreement that there is nothing to equal a ram lamb, for he will transmit his early maturing qualities to his progeny, and when mated with old ewes his natural vigour will make up for any loss of that quality that they may have sustained. In purchasing a ram lamb for these purposes the buyer will do well to bear in mind the type of his own ewes, whether they stand very high from the ground, in which case a very shortlegged ram lamb may have difficulty in serving them, or whether their conformation is such as to warrant a purchase being made. Fat ram lambs should be avoided, especially those short-legged ram lambs that carry too much condition, for their very make, coupled with the extra fat, will make it impossible for them to’sorve big ewes. Too much daylight beneath a ram lamb is also a fault tp be avoided, for if at an early age ho shows this fault, what will he he like as a shearling? We do not require length of leg in our sheep; that means too much bone and great waste when the butcher has done his work. The ideal sire of fat lambs is a square, blocky lamb, deep of flesh, with*, out carrying too much meat, with his legs woll set at each corner, and with a, good back and dock. Such a lamV rarely fails to give satisfaction in the lambs he sires. A shearling should possess good maculine character, and breed type, with a bold head and good scrag that fills the hand, for no ram that is * ewe necked will get lambs that are of much use in a flock. He should hav e a deep, wellribbed body, with a good loin an a back, and his dock should be well set and handle well. The wool naturally depends upon the breed. In the Down breeds it must be close and dense with good quality and a bright pink, healthy skin. In long wools it should' possess sufficient length and good staple with lustre and curl. Leas of mutton, in any breed, should bu well filled with a well-turned twist, and the back should be firm and level under the hand.. . A Width between the ears is also a good point, for it invariably means a wide, straight, well-developed back. ■ The shoulders should be well set, and not coarse and outstanding frefm the body. Most flockmasters like to see depth m the chest and through tne heart, tor this generally means a good constitution, while no ram will be of any use to serve ewes unless he can move gaily on his legs. . TT To satisfy the most exacting Home buyers, and certainly all purchasers from overseas, a ram must move well. If he cannot do so he will not be able to serve his ewes without exhaustion, and consequent disappointment for many will never go to ram, or will turn on*Heir service, than which there arc few things more likely to upset the ge eral arrangements in the flock.