434 



EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 





5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 



EXPERIMENTAL FARM, BRANDON, MAN. 



REPORT OF THE SFPERINTENDENT, W. C. McKILLICAN, B.S.A. 



SHEEP. 



The flock is comprised as follows on March 31, 1914: One Oxford Down ram; 

 three Oxford Down ewes (two aged and one yearling) ; forty-six grade ewes (twenty- 

 three aged, eighteen yearlings and five lambs). 



In 1910 and 1911 a start was made at sheep raivsing here, by obtaining a small 

 flock of grade ewes. These ewes were part of a shipment brought by the Manitoba 

 Sheep Breeders' Association from the range districts of western Saskatchewan. They 

 were of the usual range type, though rather better than the average, and were of 

 decidedly mixed breeding and appearance. These ewes have improved greatly in 

 appearance under farm treatment and good feeding. They have been bred each 

 season to a pure-bred Oxford Down ram, and a noticeable improvement is being 

 observed in the progeny, as illustrated in the accompanying plate. 



The season of 191 o was not a particularly successful one for the raising of lambs. 

 The lambs raised averaged about -75 to the ewe, and more than two-thirds of these 

 were rams, so that the increase of females to the flock was only five. 



EXPEKIMENT IX WII^TEKING BREEDING FLOCK. 



An experiment was tried this winter in which alfalfa was compared with mixed 

 hay, consisting chiefly of timothy and Western Rye grass, as a feed for breeding ewes, 

 and also in which an expensive sheep barn was compared with a cheap open shed as a 

 place for wintering these ewes. 



The flock was divided as equally as possible into three lots. Two lots were housed 

 in the sheep barn, were each given a small yard in which to run, were only confined 

 in the barn on stormy days, and were always fed inside. The other lot were given 

 an open shed for shelter and were fed entirely out-of-doors. Of the two lots in the 

 slieep barn, one was fed mixed hay and the other alfalfa; the outside lot received 

 alfalfa. All three lots received straw in equal quantities per sheep once a day and were 

 fed a small ration (one-quarter pound per sheep per day) of peas and oats. The hay 

 and the alfalfa were fed in equal quantities per sheep to all lots. 



The results are reported in tabular form as follows: — 



No. in lot 



Total weight on January 9 Lb, 



Total weight on March 31 .t 



Total gain in 81 days n 



A N'erago gain per sheep n 



Pounds of mixed hay used i 



Pounds of alfalfa used ir 



Pounds of straw used n 



Pounds of grain used , . ■. 



Lot 1. 



Open Shed. 

 Fed alfalfa. 



16 



2,340 



2,770 



430 



26. 



8S 



Lot 2. 



5,670 



1,620 



324 



Sheep Barn. 

 Fed alfalfa. 



16 



2,035 



2,574 



439 



27 



7.42 



5,670 



1,620 



324 



Lot 3. 



Slieep Ram. 

 Fed hay. 



17 



2,300 



2,675 



375 



22.06 

 6,024 



1,731 

 364 



