FARMERS' INSTITUTES. l23 



you get it. Never buy a stunted lamb, even if you can secure it at a 

 seemingly reasonable figure. They never do so well and are but seldom, 

 profitable. 



HOW TO FEED. 



Eegularity is one of the first requisites of a good sheep feeder. You 

 cannot hope to be successful unless you are very regular in feeding 

 the sheep. They should be fed at just such an hour each day. If you 

 oversleep and are late about feeding the lambs it means a reduction of 

 final profit. Another qualification of the feeder is that he should be 

 quiet in manner. Never go among the sheep in a careless hurried man- 

 ner, but always with quiet, careful motion. We have never been able 

 to find a bunch of sheep or lambs which were well fattened or doing well 

 which were not tame. 



An abundance of pure water should be furnished the lambs, and salt 

 should be either kept before the lambs at all times so that they can run 

 to it at will or they should be salted at regular and frequent intervals; 

 the object to be gained in either case is to let the lambs have what they 

 need of it. We have used both rock and loose salt, and could not say now 

 that either was more preferable. The grain and fodder should be so fed 

 that there is no waste, and in such a manner that all the lambs can get 

 to it at about the same time. 



THE SELF-FEED IN FATTENING LAMBS. 



There may be individual instances where it will pay to use the self- 

 feed, but we believe them very rare indeed. (For further information in 

 regard to this subject, I would refer you to Bulletin No. 128 of the Michi- 

 gan Experiment Station.) 



RATIONS FOR FATTENING LAMBS. 



Generally speaking, corn and clover hay is the ideal and economic 

 ration for fattening lambs, but it is not safe to say that it is the most eco- 

 nomical at all times and under all conditions. For example, take it in 

 some sections of the northern peninsula of Michigan, no corn can be 

 grown except some few very early dwarf varieties, and consequently 

 some other grain has to be substituted. In this case peas are substi- 

 tuted. Field peas can be grown very successfully in that climate, and 

 as doubtless many of you know they are a most excellent food for fatten- 

 ing lambs. Oats can also be grown there more successfully than here, 

 and of course are largely fed to other classes of stock. Their main 

 dependence for grain for sheep being the peas. 



For four seasons lambs have been fed in an experimental way at the 

 State Experiment Station located at the Agricultural College. Different 

 grain rations have been fed with an effort to find the best ration for 

 fattening lambs. As a result of these experiments we are prepared to 

 suggest the following conclusions : 



First, In each instance a net profit was secured. We all freely admit 

 that conditions have been greatly against the sheep industry, many going 



