Sheep Breeders' Associatiun. 



389 



FATTENING SHEEP ON GRAIN AND PASTURE. 



In many sections of the middle wezt fattening cattle on blue 

 grass pasture is almost the universal method of finishing. In such 

 cases a full ration of grain is fed to animals whih on pasture in 

 the summer. This m.ethod of fattening sheep is not so common, 

 but that it is worthy of greater development in our systems of farm 

 management will be readily admitted after an examination of the 

 following table. It will be observed that as an average of many 

 investigations at different Experiment Stations the amount oi 

 grain required to make a pound of gain by this method is smaller 

 than by any other method of feeding recorded in any of the above 

 tables. In some cases the grain requirement has been only 170 

 pounds of grain per 100 pounds of gain, and the average for ail 

 the investigations is only 245 pounds of grain per 100 pounds of 

 grain as compared with 326 pounds for sheep on a balanced ration ; 

 370 pounds for sheep on grain rations with roots and silage, and 

 420 pounds for sheep receiving a ration of corn and clover hay. 

 This favorable showing means that where pasture is available 

 sheep may be successfully finished on a much smaller amount of 

 grain than is necessary when fed in dry lots and in the winter 

 season : 



TABLE VII. 



FATTENING SHEEP ON GRAIN AND PASTURE. 



Station. 



Days 

 fed. 



Daily 



gain, 



lbs. 



Grain per 



100 lbs. 



gain, lbs. 



Remarks. 



Iowa 



Iowa 



Iowa 



Wisconsin. . . . 

 Wisconsin. . . . 



Iowa 



Iowa 



Iowa 



Iowa 



South Dakota. 

 Iowa 



Iowa . 



63 

 56 

 56 

 25 

 70 

 63 

 63 

 63 

 63 

 42 

 56 



56 



.46 



.45 



.41 



.37 



.28 



.46 



.42 



.39 



.435 



.44 



.453 



.409 



Average. 



170 



241 



301 



170 



340 



170 



187.5 



199 



204 



390 



260 



312 



245.4 



Lambs on blue grass. 



Wethers on grass and rape. 



Wethers on blue grass. 



Lambs on rape. 



Lambs on rape. 



Yearlings, corn and blue grass. 



Yearlings, oats and blue grass. 



Yearlings, barfey and blue grass. 



Yearlings, corn, oats and blue grass. 



Yearling ewes, corn and grass. 



Yearlings, corn, bran and grass and 



rape. 

 Yearlings, corn, bran and grass. 



