Chapter 171

Zhu Ji in surprise, "Is the difference really that big?"

"Very big!" Shi Wen shook his head. "I think it might be because the name wasn't chosen well. If it were like in other countries, where sheep and goats have different names, maybe people wouldn't misunderstand."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Ji said, "I feel like you livestock farmers also need to do some public education when you're raising livestock."

Shi Wen's heart stirred. "That makes sense."

Zhu Ji: "Right? Nowadays, people's acceptance of meats like mutton, which they don't eat very often, is relatively low. It's probably because they don't understand them; people are reluctant to buy something they don't know."

Shi Wen nodded. "You're right. We should probably provide more detailed instructions and explanations when we ship the goods."

Zhu Ji: "I think you've done a great job already. I always feel really appreciated when I receive your membership gift pack."

Shi Wen: "Because our explanation was clearer?"

Zhu Ji: "Yes. For example, when mutton is delivered, you not only specify what kind of mutton it is and how old it is, but also provide cooking instructions and seasonings. I think that's very user-friendly."

Shi Wen, "It seems that people may not dislike lamb, they just don't know much about it."

"Who wouldn't like it? I like it a lot." Zhu Ji noticed his thoughtful expression. "What are you thinking about?"

"Our livestock association," Shi Wen said, "I'm thinking, with all the membership fees we pay every year, is it enough just to protect the rights of the herders and the buyers? Shouldn't we take the initiative to do something?"

Zhu Ji's eyes widened. "For example?"

Shi Wen, "Perhaps we should promote and educate people about mutton. Last year, Brother Fu and the others said that mutton wasn't selling well and the price was a bit low. I feel we should strengthen promotion and find ways to process it, either initially or further, to make it more acceptable to customers. Maybe that can solve the plight of local herders."

Chapter 171

Shi Wen's advantage does not lie in publicity and promotion; he chatted with Ma Chengfeng, the president of the animal husbandry association.

Ma Chengfeng and his team then discussed the matter with the authorities and eventually secured funding to promote their city's meat products, thereby boosting tourism.

Shi Wen also attended several promotional events.

In this era where traffic is king, their promotional campaigns were quite effective, attracting some customers and tourists and boosting sales.

Ma Chengfeng and his team were very excited and immediately began preparing for even bigger publicity.

The promotional activities were in full swing, but Shi Wen couldn't continue participating—their sheep had started going into heat in large numbers.

The sheep in heat were mainly the 1,500 ewes we bought last year. They were all about the same age and stayed together. When they came into heat, they infected each other, and eventually almost all of the ewes entered their estrus period.

When ewes enter estrus, their external genitalia will show obvious changes, which experienced farmers will Shi Wen immediately.

Besides their external genitalia, the atmosphere among them has also changed. Some ewes are exhibiting mounting behavior, have become much more irritable, and have even started fighting.

Shi Wen originally planned to breed them gradually, but seeing this situation, he quickly released the breeding rams he had raised at home to arrange for them to be bred.

They currently have a total of 1,687 ewes, almost all of which are in estrus.

There were only eight breeding rams.

In other words, one ram is likely to mate with about two hundred ewes.

This data is alright; theoretically, they should have enough breeding rams.

The problem is that the ewes have been developing well lately and are quite aggressive, making mating with them more difficult for the rams—they're struggling a bit in terms of physical strength.

Shi Wen also knew about the problem with their sheep, so he quickly adjusted the feed ratio and strengthened the nutrition for both the rams and ewes.

This time, Shi Wen mainly adopted the method of natural selection.

He put rams and ewes together and painted various colors on the rams' bellies to mark which rams mounted which ewes.

The data obtained in this way is generally accurate, and it may also yield more promising lambs.

After the lamb is born, although it may not be possible to trace its paternal lineage, its mother is definitely not a problem.

They mate sheep here mainly based on the maternal lineage, so this method is quite effective.

Shi Wen busied himself with tasks.

For several days in a row, he observed, identified, and recorded the condition of the ewes.

Their rams and ewes are all very good and healthy. The ewes get pregnant very quickly; within just one week of mating, most of the ewes have conceived.

Shi Wen drive the ewes that had already been mated into another pen and observe their pregnancy progress.

Other ewes that have not yet mated are kept with rams until they do.

Last Shi Wen, it was still necessary to use machines to determine whether a ewe was pregnant and how many ewes she was carrying. This year, he can make a general judgment based on his experience and intuition.

After making a judgment, he would record it in his work manual, and then gradually correct and make notes on it after receiving the subsequent inspection results, thus training his eyesight.

That day, after Yan Kexing got home from work, he came to find Shi Wen and suddenly stared at the rams for a long time.

Shi Wen in bewilderment, "What's wrong?"

Yan Kexing said, "Should we let the rams rest for a while before mating again? They seem a bit weak."

Shi Wen, who was so familiar with the flock of sheep every day that he could hardly tell, asked suspiciously, "Really?"

Yan Kexing said with certainty, "Look at Eight Treasures, even its appearance has become ugly."

Eight Treasures was their family's first breeding ram, Shi Wen quite sorry for Eight Treasures.

He looked at it carefully. "If you put it that way, it does seem a bit listless."

Yan Kexing: "A face of excessive indulgence."

Shi Wen, "... Then I'll arrange for them to rest for a week first."