FOURTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VI. 367 



F<3r lambs, however, 1 prefer a closed hoii;-:e with large double 

 doors on the east or south of the building- and left open except in 

 storms or rainy weather, then shut them in, as they do not crowd 

 themselves in shelter like old sheep, and they do better in a closed 

 shed, however crowded, than in a roomy, stormy outdoors. 



Lambs should have grain from the time they are ten weeks old 

 till the following spring. A trough can be set with oats in it outside 

 of the pasture fence, near the watering place with opening in the 

 fence for the lambs to get it. They will then learn to eat by the time 

 they are four months old. at which time they s-hould be weaned. In 

 weaning give them the best green pasture you have and wiiat oats 

 they want to eat and plenty of good water and salt. They should be 

 kept in that way until they are put in winter quarters, then they 

 should have from a half pint to a pint of equal parts of shelled corn 

 and oats per day, owing to the size and breed of the sheep, with all 

 they can eat of good hay. 



Stockers will do well fed on good hay alone, but better on a vari- 

 ety with a little grain in stormy weather. A daily ration of one pound 

 of grain with straw stover or any kind of roughnesis is a very good 

 feed for stockers. Sheep can be fattened on various feeds, such as 

 corn, peas, beets, barley, oats, clover and grass, they do well on 

 either. But for winter feeding my best results have been from corn 

 and clover hay, that fattens fast and makes the best of mutton, and 

 when all things are considered is as cheap as any, except green clover, 

 which produces a very cheap mutton, but the losses from clover bloat 

 and low price of sheep at that time of year reduce profits in propor- 

 tion. 



I feed two bushels of corn twice a day at regular hours to 100 

 sheep (I am speaking of the mutton kind, averaging about one hun- 

 dred pounds) and as much clover hay as they will eat up clean, which 

 will be on an average of about two hundred pounds per day. They 

 will, however, need and eat more at the start, but will decrease in 

 eating hay as the grain ration is increased. Care must be taken in 

 starting them on grain so as not to overfeed them. Feed a bushel 

 twice a day to start on, then lightly increase daily till you get them 

 on full *feed. Larger sheep need more and smaller less in proportion 

 to weight. The corn is cut an inch long with a corn cutter and fed 

 in troughs ten inches wide, seven inches deep in the clear; twelve 

 to fourteen feet long is a nice length, but length may be made to suit 

 fancy. The corn may he fed shelled, but I do not like it that way be- 

 cause they eat it too fast, and some get more than they need, but 

 in cut corn, the eating process is slower, the food is better masticated 

 and there is a better chance for all to get their share. 



They should always have free access to fresh water and salt and 

 never be left without it. They drink lots when on dry feed; they don't 

 drink so much at a time, but often. Good thrifty sheep thus fed will 

 fatten and gain thirty to thirty-five pounds each in seventy-five days, 

 and ought then to go to market, for it rarely ever pays to feed them 

 longer. The gain, however, will de!)end largely npon their condition 



