Choosing breeding animals[edit | edit source]
Why choose ?[edit | edit source]
If you make a good choice of males, the females they serve will produce fine, big lambs.
If the sire is well built, he will produce well- built offspring.
If the sire is badly developed, he will produce badly developed offspring.
By making a good choice of males you quickly improve the flock.
When you make a good choice of females, they produce fine offspring, and they have plenty of milk to feed them.
Ewes which have 2 lambs in the first litter almost always have 2 in other litters.
The good qualities of the breeding animals are often passed on to their offspring.
So it is very important to make a good choice of breeding animals.
A farmer who makes a good choice of seeds gets better harvests.
A farmer who makes a good choice of breeding animals gets a better flock.
How to choose
The male
Choose the son of a good female and a good, well- built male, with a mother that gives a lot of milk.
The young male should be well built and in good health.
You can buy a young male at a breeding station; he will improve the flock.
This costs less money than buying several females from the breeding station.
The male should be lively and strong, and should be well fed, especially for two months before service.
The male should have a flat back with broad loins.
Females
Choose daughters of good, well- built milk types and of fine males. They should be well developed and in good health.
Their hind legs should be well spread, but straight and their loins broad.
Their bellies should be well developed and muscular.
Age of breeding animals[edit | edit source]
Females
The ewe lambs should not be fertilized before the age of 18 months.
Otherwise they will remain small and will produce small lambs and will have little milk to feed their young ones.
Ewes are fattened for sale or eating when they are 5 or 6 years old. After that age they cannot be fattened any more, they produce meat of poor quality and do not fetch a good price.
The female kids should not be fertilized before the age of 1 year.
She goats are fattened for sale or eating after 5 or 6 births, that is, at the age of 6 or 7 years.
Males
Rams do not serve before the age of 15 months.
Otherwise they remain small and do not give the ewes good litters.
Bucks should not serve before the age of 18 months.
After the age of 4 years the males are less strong and produce poor offspring. So you lose money.
The males should be castrated at the age of 4 years and fattened for sale or eating.
