SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VIII. 687 



We gathered half the corn in the field and the lambs did not consume 

 more than half the corn left or about 500 bushels in all. This was all 

 the feed they received from the time we received them until they were 

 sent to market. We had an exceptionally fine dry fall and winter and 

 the Jambs did not waste any corn, but had the field become muddy we 

 would have taken them out and fed them in troughs, as we usually finish 

 our lambs — by feeding shelled corn, oats and linseed-meal. The lambs 

 were taken out of the field each night and placed in a lot where there 

 was plenty of shelter, water and salt. Where lambs are turned on green 

 feed of any kind it is very essential that they have plenty of salt at all 

 times and this lot consumed about one barrel of salt per week. 



Two of this lot of lambs died from the effects of dipping, two were 

 killed by dogs and three died from other causes, which was a very light 

 loss. We sold on Dec. 19 in Chicago 20 lambs averaging 75 pounds at 

 $6.50, and on Jan. 5 in East St. Louis 129 lambs weighing 72 pounds at 

 7 cents in Chicago on Jan. 9, 481 lambs averaging 68 pounds at $7.25 

 and 38 lambs averaging 60 pounds at $6.00. The total weight of the 

 lambs when sold .was 45,910 pounds or a gain of 9,200 pounds — about 14 

 pounds per head. 



While this gain was not large it was very satisfactory and with th€ 

 r.dvance in price made a nice profit. After taking out shipping expenses 

 the 608 lambs sent to market netted $3,086.45. Take from this the first 

 cost, $1,669.40 and $200 for corn, $40 for rape and $10 for salt and wc 

 had left a net profit of $1,167.05. We fed besides this lot of lambs 200 

 native lambs and 180 native sheep, which were sent to market in December 

 and we have on hand at the present time 300 Western lambs and 200 native 

 breeding ev^^es. V/e expect to feed the Western lambs until about May 1, 

 when they will be sheared and sent to market. The ewes vrere bred to 

 have lambs in April and will be sent to market just as soon as their 

 lambs are large enough to sell for spring lambs or about the middle of 

 June. These ewes were purchased here in the country about Oct. 1 at 

 3 cents per pound and averaged 115 pounds. We expect this lot of ewes 

 to make us more clear profit than any lot of sheep or lambs that we have 

 handled as they should shear over $2 worth of wool per head, and last 

 June we sold ewes not as good as these on the East St. Louis market that 

 had raised lambs at $5 per cwt. We do not try to raise any lambs to feed, 

 as we prefer to buy Western lambs as they are so much stronger and 

 healthier and losses are not so large. We tried feeding from 5,000 to 

 10,000 lambs a year at feeding stations, but found it took about all the 

 profit to pay for screenings and the last few years we have fed what we 

 could handle well on the farm and have always made a good profit. We 

 do not expect to do as well another year, as feeding lambs will be higher, 

 ' but we will feed at least 2,000 as they will consume much feed to better 

 advantage than either cattle or hogs. 



