FOODS ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 775 



From these tests and that previously reported the general deductions 

 are drawn that — 



"The ground corn gave the best results as far as cost of gain is concerned, and 

 next to it ranks bran, while oats and peas are shown to be of equal value. . . . 

 The trials show that for feeding lambs when they are suckling tlieir dams these foods 

 should be chosen in the following order : First, ground corn ; second, bran ; third, 

 oats or cracked peas." 



Grain mixture for lambs before and after weaning, J. A. Craig 

 ( Wisconsin Sta. Rpt. 1897, pp. 42-44). — The comparative value of corn 

 and a mixture of corn with other grains was tested with 15 lambs 

 before and after weaning. They were divided into 3 lots of 5 each. 

 There were 3 ewes with the lambs in each lot. Lot 1 was fed ground 

 corn, lot 2 corn and oats, and lot 3 ground corn and cracked peas. 

 The lambs were fed all the grain they would eat morning and even- 

 ing, and during the day were with their dams on ordinary blue-grass 

 pasture. The test covered 8 weeks before and 8 weeks after weaning. 

 The weight of the lots at the beginning of the test was as follows: 

 Lot 1, 291.5 lbs. ; lot 2, 299.5 lbs. ; and lot 3, 288 lbs. In 8 weeks the 

 3 lots had gained 139, 139.5, and 139 lbs., consuming 0.2G, 0.31, and 

 0.42 lb. of grain, respectively, per pound of gain. In each case the 

 corresponding cost of gain was 0.13, 0.17, and 0.24 ct. During 8 weeks 

 immediately after weaning lot 1 gained 95, lot 2, 92.5, and lot 3, 98 lbs., 

 consuming 0.13, 0.14, and 0.13 lb. of grain per pound of gain, respec- 

 tively, tbe cost of gain being 0.6, 0.7, and 0.7 ct. per pound. 



"The outcome of this trial still maintains the position of ground corn as a food 

 for lambs, though the results are practically the same from the lambs in all of the 

 lots. The lot getting the corn and peas gained slightly the most, and they ate more 

 grain than the others, but in respect to the cost of the gain the ground corn main- 

 tains its position. 



"The mixture of corn and peas, however, seems to be a ration that the lambs rel- 

 ish as they grow older, but previous to weaning none of these mixtures seem to give 

 as satisfactory results as the ground corn. It is a fact, however, that in feeding 

 such a ration as ground corn alone there is likely to be more sickness among the 

 lambs than if they have a mixed ration. Aside from this the addition of oats or 

 peas to the ration of unground corn produced no appreciable benefit, while it 

 increased the cost in every instance." 



Lambs for early spring market, J. A. Craig ( Wisconsin Sta. Rpt. 

 1897, pp. 45-49, Jigs. 4). — The lambs raised at the station are mostly a 

 cross of a pure-bred Dorset ram on Shropshire grade ewes. There are 

 also some second-cross lambs; that is, lambs from a crossing of a pure- 

 bred Dorset ram on the cross-bred ewes mentioned above. The author 

 gives in tabular form the number and cross of the ewe, date of service, 

 date of lambing, number of lambs, date when sold, and the weight and 

 value of the lambs in the station flock. 



"From our experience in trying to establish a flock for breeding early lambs, we 

 can say that a reasonable degree of success may be attained as soon as the first-cross 

 ewes are ready to be bred, but it is equally clear that a greater certainty of breeding 

 the ewes early exists where the ewes are the second cross of the Dorset on native 

 sheep." 



16130— No. 8 6 



