462 Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



Values. — Taking' the value of the fed Lnmhs before starting- to 

 feed at^ say, 9d. per lb. on 50 per cent, of their live weight = 

 17s. 10|d. each, and their value at lOd. per lb. on 50 per cent, of their 

 finished weight = £1. 14s. lOd. each, leaves a gain of 16s. ll|d. each. 

 The controls valued on the same basis work out at the start = 

 16s. 4|d., and finish at £1. 9s. 6Ad., showing- a g-ain of 13s. Ifd. each. 



s. d. 



Gain on fed lambs 16 Hi 



Less cost of feed per head 2 2^ 



Net g-ain on fed lambs 14 9t 



Gain on controls 13 If 



Leaving' on account of the fed lambs a gain of 1 7 J each. 



CoTnparisons. — The lambs averaged 3.94 lb. more in weight than 

 the controls at the start, and if they increased at the same rate as the 

 controls, namely, by 62.31 per cent., would have ended at 6.45 lb. 



s. d. 

 50 per cent, of 3.94 lb. = 1.97 lb. at 9d. = 1 5f 



50 per cent, of 6.45 lb. = 3.225 lb. at lOd. = 



Showing a gain of 1 2^ 



This would reduce the gain on the fattened lambs (Is. 7hd. minus 

 Is. 2M.) to 5d. each. 



This result is obtained without taking into consideration any cost 

 for labour or other preliminary expenses. 



Prices of Feed. — Feed has been charged at current rates, viz., 

 second or third grade mealies at 16s. per bag, bran at 7s. 6d. per 100 

 lb., oats at 4s. per bushel (10s. per 100 lb.), and nutmeal at 8s. per 

 100 lb. 



Crushed mealies 486 lb. ... £1 18 lOA 



Bran 187 lb. ... 14 0^ 



Oats 116 lb. ... 11 101 



Nutmeal 60 lb. ... 4 9A 



Total cost of feed £3 9 6f 



Or, per head, on 32 lambs fed ... £0 2 2J 



Summary of Results. 



At the current rates for foodstuffs, taking- into consideration the 

 extra labour and cost of grinding-, and initial expenditure, the con- 

 clusions arrived at are that lambs of, say, 45 lb. weight at ten weeks 

 old, if fed on plenty of green feed, such as oats or lucerne, will gain 

 weight very rapidly, and if their feed is changed often will give 

 results in net profits equal to, or even better than, fed lambs plus 

 green feed. 



As the unfed controls started at a disadvantage of about 4 lb. each 

 in live weight, it is shown that it was a handicap which, all things 

 being equal, would have given an even smaller gain on the fed lambs. 



