492 



Feeds and Feeding. 



750. Exposure versus confinement. Next to feed, the feeding 

 place and the method of confinement are of importance in fatten- 

 ing sheep. At the Minnesota Station, l Shaw fed four lots of 

 eight lambs each under various conditions as to confinement. Lot 

 I was kept out of doors continuously in a yard sheltered from the 

 wind by a low building at one side. Lots II and III were con- 

 fined in yards with an open shed for shelter. Lot IV was kept 

 in a compartment of the barn having one large window facing 

 the east, for ventilation. The fed for all lots was the same. The 

 table below presents the results: 



Effect of various methods of confinement on fattening lambs Min- 

 nesota Station. 



It will be seen that the lot kept out of doors made as rapid 

 gains as that confined in the stable, but required somewhat more 

 feed for a given gain. Lots II and III, kept in the shed, made 

 the largest and Lot III the cheapest gain. 



At the Michigan Station, 2 Mumford kept one lot of lambs con- 

 tinuously in an open yard in winter where they were sometimes 

 drenched with rain and covered with snow. A second lot was 

 fed in a barn, at no time being allowed to go outside. The re- 

 sults were slightly in favor of the lambs kept indoors, but the 

 difference was far less than would be supposed by persons who 

 are not familiar with the hardiness of fattening sheep. The re- 

 sults of this trial do not show that rain and snow are beneficial 

 to the fattening sheep, but rather that indoor confinement may be 

 as damaging as outdoor exposure. (561, 630) 



i Bui. 44. ~~ Bui. 128. 



