GENERAL PROBLEMS IN SHEEP HUSBANDRY 641 



late summer or early fall to meet the reasonable demands of the market, 

 it shows a lack of feed and care, or that parasites have destroyed profits. 

 The relative cost of gains by lambs and older sheep is well shown in a 

 trial by Shaw at the Montana Station. 6 "Western range lambs, yearling 

 wethers, and 2-year-old wethers were fed for 88 days, with the results 

 shown in the table: 



Fattening range sheep of different ages 



It will be observed that all lots, except the aged ewes, made practically 

 the same daily and total gains. All were fed the same amount of grain, 

 but the lambs ate about half as much hay as the yearlings or 2-year- 

 olds. Hence the gains of the lambs were much more economical. In 

 other trials at the same Station, lambs made not only more economical 

 but also more rapid gains than yearling wethers. In a trial by Paterson 

 and Winchester at the Kansas Station 7 western lambs gained 0.39 Ib. 

 a head daily, while yearlings gained only 0.29 Ib. The feed cost of 100 

 Ibs. gain was 56 per ct. more for the yearlings than for the lambs. 



Most stockmen who fatten western feeder sheep for the market prefer 

 lambs to older sheep for the reasons given previously. Tho lambs cost 

 more per cwt. as feeders than older animals, they sell for so much more 

 when fat that there is usually a greater margin between cost and selling 

 price per cwt. than in the case of the older animals, and hence a greater 

 profit in fattening them. Some men make a practice of purchasing old 

 ewes, which can often be obtained at low prices. Such animals require 

 expert care and good feed. In the West they are often fed largely on 

 beet pulp, as this is especially suited to those with "broken mouths," or 

 poor and missing teeth. 



Owing to their tendency to grow, lambs require a longer period to 

 fatten than do mature wethers. Since they are making not only fat but 

 also lean meat, the ration should be somewhat narrower, that is, con- 

 tain more protein, than is needed for fattening mature sheep. How- 

 ever, a ration which is too rich in protein will unduly stimulate growth, 

 and not fatten them properly. 



830. Shelter for sheep. Above every other animal on the farm, sheep 

 should be kept dry as to both coat and feet. Inattention to either of 

 these essentials will result disastrously. With dry winter quarters 

 sheep will stand a great degree of cold without injury. Their shelter 

 should not be warm, compared with that of other farm animals, for sheep 



Mont. Buls. 35, 47, and 59. * Information to the authors. 



