486 



Feeds and Feeding. 



When half a pound of flax seed was added to the ration the milk 

 production increased as follows: 



May 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. 



Pounds of milk 1.5, 1.7, 2.0, 2.1, 2.0, 2.1. 



The influence of the flax seed in overcoming the shock to the 

 system through shearing is shown by a return to the normal milk 

 flow through its use. 



743. Soiling ewes and lambs. Because of their daintiness and 

 the large variety of plants they crop, soiling sheep is impracti- 

 cable. Desiring to ascertain, regardless of cost, the amount of food 

 required by sheep for growth in summer, the writer conducted 

 the trial reported below. l Ten large Merino ewes were chosen, 

 each with a lamb at foot one month old, when the trial began, 

 June 3. The lambs were vigorous, their sire being an imported 

 Shropshire. With patience and laborious attention to every de- 

 tail, the shepherd fed the lot successfully, with the results given 

 in the following table: 



Feed required for 100 pounds gain when soiling ewes and lambs 



Wisconsin Station. 



Feed for 100 pounds gain. 



Placing a fair price on the substances consumed, we find that 

 100 pounds of increase was made at a reasonable cost. When we 

 remember that the ewes would have preferred to do their own 

 foraging, and would have eaten many weeds and weed seeds as 

 well as better forage, we must conclude that evidence points to the 

 sheep as one of the most economical meat producers on the farm. 



744. Sheep compared with lambs for fattening. This -impor- 

 tant subject has received little attention at our Stations. The only 



1 Kept. Wis. Expt. Sta., 1890. 



