In the Bridger National Forest in Wyoming, near the Salt River Pass, sheep ranchers have grazing permits.
We stopped and talked with them during their fall round up. A worker explained they were conducting mouth and bag culling.
The men and dogs round up all the sheep, and separate the rams from the ewes.
The ewes are then inspected, specifically their mouths and bags (breasts).
If a ewe has teeth or milk bags in poor condition, they are culled from the herd and immediately sold for meat.
Their reasoning is that a ewe with poor teeth cannot eat enough grass to grow to market weight,
and a ewe with a milk bag that isn’t at peak production cannot raise a lamb to full market weight.
Whether it’s spring or fall, the destiny of each sheep is to be food for others.