216 



STATE BOARD OF. AGRICULTURE. 



again this year. Perhaps it will be necessary to avoid making of it an entire ration 

 for animals during the fall, when the natural food is of a less succulent nature. Post 

 mortem examination of the lambs revealed no symptoms of poison from the effect of the 

 lucerne feed. 



Burnett, in Nebraska Experiment Station No. 71, notes the death of nine lambs out 

 of a flock of 129 from alfalfa pasture between October 18 and November 1. There were, 

 however, no cases of bloat and the post mortem examination revealed no symptoms 

 that would explain the cause of death. 



The pasturing of sheep on alfalfa seems to be attended with some dangers, and must 

 be done with more or less precaution. 



SHEEP FEEDING. 



Burnett, in Nebraska Experiment Station Bulletin 66, records an experiment com- 

 uaring alfalfa with native hay in connection with grains for fattening lambs, and 

 in Bulletin 71 comparing in a similar way alfalfa and sorghum hay. A notable 

 feature of both experiments was the fact that much more feed, both hay and grain, 

 was consumed by the alfalfa fed lambs than by those fed on the other hays, but in 

 every case the extra feed was more than returned in the increased growth. 



The following conclusions from the first experiment so far as alfalfa is concerned 

 are significant: "The alfalfa fed lambs consumed 1.34 pounds of alfalfa and one 

 pound of grain per day, as against .88 pounds of prairie hay and .89 pounds of grain 

 consumed by the prairie hay fed lambs." 



"The alfalfa fed lambs made 52 per cent greater gains than the lambs fed prairie 

 hay and the same grain ration." 



From the second experiment the following testilied to the superiority of alfalfa over 

 sorghum hay: » 



1. Six lots on alfalfa and different grain rations made an average gain of 33.7 

 pounds per head in 98 days. 



2. Three lots on sorghum and different grain rations without linseed meal made 

 an average gain of 20.7 pounds per head in 98 days. 



3. Six lots on alfalfa made an average profit of 72 cents per head on food consumed. 



4. Four lots on sorghum made an average profit of 32.8 cents per head. 



Day in Ontario Agricultural College and Experiment Farm Report, 1898, records 

 an experiment comparing clover hay and alfalfa hay as a feed for fattening sheep, 

 wherein there is a slight advantage in favor of the alfalfa hay. 



Foster, in Bulletin 47, Wyoming Experiment Station, gives results of lamb feeding 

 experiment to compare feeding values of alfalfa with that of native hay in connection 

 with corn for finishing lambs for market. Two pens of lambs, 50 each, were fed for 

 95 days. The lambs were of mixed Rambouillet, Lincoln, Shropshire and native. The 

 account of the experiment closes with the following facts and conclusions: 



Foods, gains and values. 



Hay eaten per head daily 



Corn and oil cake eaterfper head daily.. 



Hay consumed for 100 pounds gain , 



Grain consumed for 100 pounds gain — 



Average gain per head in P5 days 



Average daily gain per head 



Gain per ton of hay 



Gain per acre of hay 



Cost of food per head for 05 days 



Value of food eaten per 100 pounds gain 



Native 

 hay. 



Pounds 



1.07 



.82 

 420 



:;17 

 24.1 

 .253 



470 

 470 

 $1 08 

 4 48 



Alfalfa. 



Pounds. 



1.47 

 .82 

 456 

 248 

 30. S 



.324 

 439 

 1,756 



$1 20 

 3 8D 



Among the conclusions arrived at, the following bear directly on the comparison of 

 the two kinds of hay: "The alfalfa hay surpassed the native in the following points: 

 1. It produced 27.8 per cent larger gains. 2. It gave iy 2 per cent more of dressed 

 carcass. 3. It produced 1,280 pounds more mutton per. acre. 4. Its gains were made 

 at 15 per cent less cost for food per hundred. 



"The native hay excelled the alfalfa in the number of pounds of hay eaten for 100 



