Sheep Breeders' Association. 385 



RATIONS FOR FATTENING SHEEP. 



The rations to be fed to fattening sheep will depend upon the 

 season of the year and the size and character of the sheep to be 

 fed. If the sheep are purchased early in the fall it is customary 

 to run them on good pasture until winter, and in this way a con- 

 siderable gain can be secured usually at a very small cost. In 

 many sections of the State sheep feeders have planted cowpeas in 

 the corn at the last cultivation, and have turned the sheep or lambs 

 into the corn field during the latter part of September to eat off 

 the undergrowth. Lambs will not injure the corn, but other sheep 

 will gradually learn to eat the corn from the hill, and indeed this 

 is a profitable method of fattening yearlings and wethers. Lambs 

 are not to be recommended for feeding off the corn on the hill, 

 although they are highly satisfactory for cleaning up the under- 

 growth planted as above directed. 



RAPE AND COWPEAS IN THE CORN FIELD. 



In planting cowpeas in the corn two methods are common. By 

 one method the farmer sows broadcast a bushel of New Era or 

 Whippoorwill cowpeas per acre and depends upon the last cultiva- 

 tion to cover them. Another, and perhaps better method is to 

 drill in one-half bushel of seed per acre between the corn rows at 

 the last cultivation. For this purpose a one-horse drill is used. 

 One acre of good undergrowth will fatten from five to ten lambs 

 per acre. One Missouri farmer fattened 177 lambs and 136 year- 

 ling wethers on 35 acres of undergrowth in corn. They gained 27 

 pounds each in sixty days. In addition to the undergrowth they 

 consumed 25 bushels of corn. 



Rape may likewise be sown in corn at the last cultivation, but 

 it requires richer land than does cowpeas. The cowpeas should all 

 be eaten off before frost, but the rape may be utilized until cold 

 weather. It is not good practice to feed lambs or older sheep on 

 green undergrowth and change suddenly to a dry ration. It is 

 best to sell them direct from the corn field. It is, however, good 

 practice to feed corn during the last two or three weeks while 

 they are still eating the undergrowth. This corn may be fed as 

 ear corn scattered widely on the blue grass pasture. 



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