DIVISION OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



595 



EXPERIMENTAL FARM, NAPPAN, N. S. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT— R. ROBERTSON. 



BREEDING FLOCKS. 



The breeding sheep on this Farm represent two classes of sheep, namely, the 

 long and medinm-wooled breeds. Two small flocks are .maintained, namely, J^eiees- 

 ters (G head) and Shropshire^ (9 head). Owing to lack of pasture, these flocks can- 

 not be greatly enlarged until more land is purchased or different arrangement of 

 present fields is made. 



EXPERIMENT IX FATTENING LAMBS. 



To determine the relative value of timothy and clover hay as a feed for fattening 

 sbeep, an experiment was conducted this past year. 



Grade wethers of mixed breeding were used for this test. They were divided into 

 four lots of ten each, lot I being fed timothy hay, roots and meal; lot II, timothy hay 

 and meal; lot III, clover hay, roots and meal; lot IV, clover hay and meal. 



The hay and meal ration was uniform throughout as to weight, lots I and III 

 only being fed roots. Each lamb of each lot received h pound meal per day at the 

 beginning of test, the meal ration being gradually increased until, at the end of the 

 test, each one was getting lh pounds of meal niixtui'e (bran, oats, cotton seed or oil 

 cake, equal parts). 



The roughage ration fed to lots I and III was turnips, beginning with 2£ 

 pounds per lamb per day, and increasing to 4 pounds per lamb per day at the finish, 

 and of hay each lamb received a uniform ration of 1} pounds per day. 



For each lot the following valuations were used namely, hay, $8; grain mixture, 

 $30; and roots, $2 per ton. 



The following table shows results of this experiment : — 



Kind of Feed. 



Lot I. 



Timothy Hay 



Roots and 



Meal. 



Number of lambs in lot 



Number of days in experiment 



Total weight at beginning of experiment lb. 



Total weight at finish of experiment 



(Jain during period n 



Gain per head ■■ 



( Sain per head per day « 



Quantity of hay consumed >i 



Quantity of meal consumed m 



Quantity of roots consumed •• 



Total cost of feed . $ 



Cost of feed per head . ■• 



Cost of feed per head per day cts. 



Cost of 1 pound gain < 



Original cost of sheep $ 



Original cost of sheet plus cost of feed. . >■ 



Selling price at $7.50 per 100 pounds ■■ 



Net profit on lot u 



Net profit per lamb n 



Lot II. 



Timothy Hay 



and 



Meal. 



10 

 76 

 722 

 957 

 235 

 23 5 

 30 

 1,140 

 930 

 2.S00 

 21 31 

 2 13 

 2 Si 



:• 06 

 36 10 

 57 41 

 71 78 

 14 37 



1 43 



10 



76 



715 



907 



192 



19" 



1,140 



930 



2 

 25 



18 52 



1 85 



243 



9 64 



35 75 



54 27 



68 03 



13 76 



1 37 



Lot III. 



Clover Hay 



Roots and 



Meal. 



10 

 76 

 720' 

 955 

 238 

 238 

 •31 

 1,140 

 930 

 2,800 

 21 31 

 2 13 

 2 81 

 8 95 

 36 00 

 57 31 

 71 63 

 14 32 

 1 \S 



Lot IV. 



Clover Hay 

 and 



Meal. 



10 



76 



720 



928 



208 



208 



•27 



1,140 



930 



18 52 



1 85 



243 



890 



36 00 



61 52 



69 60 



15 08 



1 DO 



10- 



-o o 2 



