478 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



of silage replaced 2.00 pounds of hay. When cost of gain is 

 considered, the silage effected a saving of 33 cents per 100 

 pounds gain with corn at 40 cents per bushel; 32 cents per 100 

 pounds gain with corn at 50 cents per bushel, and 32 cents per 

 100 pounds gain with corn at 60 cents per bushel. The lambs 

 fed the silage sold for 15 cents per 100 pounds more in the first 

 trial and 10 cents per 100 pounds more in the last trial. The 

 best ration we have ever fed has been one consisting of all the 

 corn, clover hay and corn silage the lambs would eat and one 

 pound of cottonseed meal for every seven pounds of corn fed. 



ADVANTAGES FROM USE OF PURE-BRED RAM. 



(Howard Hackedorn, Missouri College of Agriculture.) 



The use of a good sire is one of the recognized principles of 

 improving the live stock. This principle is generally con- 

 sidered to be fundamental by all breeders of live stock, both 

 breeders of pure-bred stock and breeders of animals for the open 

 market. However, some breeders through neglect, or a lack 

 of knowledge and interest in the improved types, use sires 

 which retard the general quality of their flocks and herds rather 

 than advance it. 



Judging from the quality of native lambs on the various 

 Missouri markets, lamb producers of this State are realizing 

 more fully each year Jhe economy of investing in good sires. 

 The object of this bulletin is to present data which will show 

 the difference in profits derived from grade ewes bred to an 

 average medium priced mutton type ram as compared with the 

 profits from the same class of ewes when bred to an inferior 

 ram. 



A good, strong yearling ram should be able to serve fifty 

 ewes. A good ram when used on a flock of grade ewes is in 

 many cases more than half the flock because he will usually 

 have greater ability to stamp his character on the offspring than 

 will the ewes. So with a small flock of grade ewes, worth from 

 $4.00 to 110.00 per head, one can afford to purchase a good 

 mutton ram. As the value of the ewe flock increases one can 

 afford a higher class ram. It is economy to have a ram of 

 superior character at the head of the flock. 



Ewes and Rams Used. — The ewes in this experiment were 

 selected from a load of western ewes, classified as Colorado ewes 



