OCR Text |
Show in numbers of twins. A well cared for flock easily raised one hundred and twenty-five percent lamb crop-and sometimes more. Even in aging years (and Rambouillets are long lived), they continue to produce lambs and heavy wool. Superior, long-staple, fine wool is characteristic of them. Their lambs are fast maturing and excellent feeders. There is a well developed flocking instinct in this breed of sheep under herd, and they handle easily. The fleece of the Rambouillet was popular with wool buyers, and it would be hard to recount all of the reasons John K found them to be his favorite breed. His experiences with them led him to want to further improve them. The history of various other breeds of sheep made an impression on him, but the more he learned the more he gained assurance that Rambouillet breeding was best suited to the conditions of the western grazing environment with which he was familiar. He found the breed to be better able to withstand high temperatures by having lower body temperatures and a lower rate of respiration then did the strictly mutton breeds. He also found that they were capable of grazing over rough ranges and traveling long distances for water. Their ability to rustle and utilize forage plants to good advantage was strong in their favor. And in drouth years they were known to survive for long periods of time. 123 |