Sheej) Breeders' Association. 



371 



South America, the sheep has readily adapted itself to the uses of 

 man. 



Its time-earned value as an improver of soils is more and 

 more recognized by the farmers of the middle west. Its efficiency 

 in cleaning land of weeds has been clearly demonstrated in every 

 section of the United States. Sheep will eat 100 kinds of weeds 

 that are wholly unpalatable to cattle. Among the domestic ani- 

 mals perhaps no other class of live stock requires so little labor in 

 its successful care and management. 



The domestic animal on the farm is to be regarded as an ani- 

 mal machine. Its efficiency in the consumption of food is a con- 

 trolling factor in live stock operations. In this regard the sheep 

 stands in a class by itself among ruminant animals. The amount 

 of grain required to make a pound of gain on sheep as compared 

 with other animals is shown in the following table:* 



TABLE. It GRAIN REQUIRED FOR 100 LBS. GAIN— DRY LOT. 



Ration. 



Corn 



Oats 



Barley 



Peas 



Varied (with roots or silage). 

 Varied 



Average. 



Cattle. 



Grain, | Hay, 

 Pounds. Pounds. 



1,080 



914 



712 

 953 



914 



457 



572 

 292 



Hogs. 



Grain, 

 Pounds. 



500 

 421 

 446 

 452 

 359 

 431 



440 



435 



Sheep. 



Grain 

 Pounds. 



420 

 331 

 305 

 549 

 370 

 326 



383 



Hay, 

 Pounds. 



458 

 595 



Pastured 

 382 

 422 



464 



It will be seen from the above tables that the sheep is one of 

 the most efficient meat producing animals on the farm. 



The disadvantages that are to be mentioned in connection with 

 sheep farming are that sheep are subject to certain diseases. In- 

 ternal parasites, such as stomach worm and tape worm, have in the 



*Missouri State Board of Agriculture, 1907. 



tTable I was compiled from many experiment station reports. 



