194 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT, 



fleece of the large mutton breeds parts on the back when wet and ad- 

 mits the water, which completely drenches the animal, so that its abund- 

 ant fleece is no longer a protection from the cold. Economy in feeding 

 also demands shelter, as not only less feed is required but is better pre- 

 served from waste. For they will not eat or drink that which is in any 

 way soiled or out of a dirty trough unless forced to. 



For lambs, however, I prefer a closed house with large double 

 doors on the east or south of the building and left open except in storms 

 or rainy weather, then shut them in as they do not crowd themselves 

 in shelter like old sheep, and they do better in a closed shed, however 

 crowded, than in a roomy, stormy out doors. 



Lambs should have grain from the time they are ten weeks old till 

 the following spring. A trough can be set with oats in it outside of the 

 pasture, fence, near the watering place with openings in the fence for the 

 lambs to get it. They will then learn to eat by the time they are four 

 months old, at which time they should be weaned. In weaning give 

 them the best green pasture you have and what oats they want to eat 

 and plenty of good water and salt. They should be kept in that way 

 until they are put in winter quarters, then they should have from a half 

 pint to a pint of equal parts of shelled corn and oats per day, owing to 

 the size and breed of the sheep, with all they can eat of good hay. 



Stockers will do well fed on good hay alone, but better on a variety 

 with a little grain in stormy weather. A daily ration of one pound 

 of grain with straw stover or any kind of roughness is a very good 

 feed for stockers. Sheep can be fattened on various feeds such as 

 com, peas, beets, barley, oats, clover and grass, they do well on either. 

 But for winter feeding my best results have been from corn and clover 

 hay, that fattens fast and makes the best of mutton, and when all things 

 are considered is as cheap as any, except green clover, which produces 

 very cheap mutton, but the losses from clover bloat and low price of 

 sheep at that time of year reduce profits in proportion. 



I feed two bushels of corn twice a day at regular hours to lOO 

 sheep (I am speaking of the mutton kind, averaging about lOO pounds) 

 and as much clover hay as they will eat up clean, which will be on an 

 average about 200 pounds per day. They will, however, need and eat 

 more at the start, but will decrease in eating hay as the grain ration is 

 increased. Care must be taken in starting them on grain so as not to 

 overfeed them. Feed a bushel twice a day to start on, then lightly 

 increase daily till you get them on full feed. Larger sheep need more 

 and smaller less in proportion to weight. The corn is cut an inch long 

 with a corn cutter and fed in troughs 10 inches wide, 7 inches deep in 

 the clear; 12 to 14 feet long is a nice length, but length may be made 



