Arizona Aciricuutral Extkrimknt Station' 423 



The sheep were maintained in the feed lots for seven weeks. 

 At the outset they were extremely thin and began to lamb a week 

 after being placed in the feed lots. Complete records were taken 

 regarding the amount of feed consumed, dates of lambing, weights 

 of the lambs and ewes, mortality in the different lots, and the vigor 

 and condition of the lambs. From the flock 170 ot the ewes lambed 

 and there were 24 dry ewes. Ninety percent of a lamb crop was 

 raised from the ewes that lambed, or 76.5 percent of a lamb crop 

 raised from the entire flock. As a result of the test, it was clearly 

 demonstrated that thin range ewes require an abundance of good 

 feed to place them in proper condition for lambing. Silage alone 

 made the ewes fat, but was extremely inferior for milk production. 

 The addition of cottonseed meal to the ration increased the milk 

 flow. Pea hay was too coarse for the ewes and not as satisfactory 

 as alfalfa hay. There is no reason why sheep cannot be fed in dry 

 lots in such a way as to maintain the animals in good, vigorous 

 condition for lambing, to have strong lambs at time of birth and 

 raise as good lambs there as on the desert. The ewes, however, if 

 thin at the outset of the test, should be forced to a maximum of 

 their capacity for at least three weeks before lambing. This means 

 that the ewes will require much more feed than that recommended 

 by the feeding standards. 



CWTTLE FEEDINC. 



On the Prescott Dry-farm 20 thin, old range cows were selected 

 and divided into four different lots containing five each. The cows 

 in Lot I were fed 30 pounds of silage per day ; Lot H, 40 pounds 

 of silage per day; Lot III all the silage they would eat; and Lot IV 

 all the silage they would eat and two pounds of cottonseed meal 

 daily. 



This test indicated that 30 pounds of silage was not enough to 

 maintain these cows and probably all would have died on this 

 amount. Forty pounds of silage per cow^ daily was almost suffi- 

 cient to maintain them, but they gradually became weaker and 

 probably would not have lived on this allowance. It is believed, 

 however, that if either Lot I or II had been given the freedom of a 

 browse range or dry pasture where they could have secured a small 

 amount of forage they would have done well on 30 pounds of silage 

 per head daily. The cows given all the silage they would take did 

 not make rapid or cheap gains. They became strong and vigorous, 

 taking a good fill the first few weeks, which increased their weight, 

 but after the third week little gain was made. These cows ate 



