CHAPTER XXXI 



FEEDS FOR SHEEP 



I. CONCENTRATES FOR SHEEP 



In the following articles, which discuss the value of various feeding 

 stuffs for sheep, especially for fattening animals, it will be noted that 

 nearly all the trials reviewed were with lambs. This is due to the facts, 

 already pointed out, that lambs make better use of their feed than older 

 animals and that their flesh is in greater demand. (829) In all trials 

 where the weight of the lambs and duration of the fattening period are 

 not stated, it may be assumed that western lambs weighing 55 to 65 Ibs. 

 were used, and that the feeding period covered from 12 to 15 weeks. 



843. Indian corn. Corn, the best single grain for fattening sheep, is 

 the cereal most commonly used over the United States as far west as 

 Colorado, beyond which wheat and barley are more generally fed. (201-7) 

 Legume hay, rich in protein, admirably supplements this carbonaceous 

 grain. Hence, the combination of corn and legume hay has become a 

 standard ration for fattening sheep over a large part of our country. 

 In this chapter, so far as possible, other rations are compared with this 

 successful combination. To show the possibilities of this ration, below 

 are averaged the results from 8 stations with 26 lots, including 527 lambs, 

 which were fed an unlimited allowance of shelled corn and either clover 

 or alfalfa hay, for periods averaging 90 days. The results are also 

 given from 4 stations at which 17 lots, including 1,180 lambs, were fed a 

 limited allowance of shelled corn (from 0.7 to 1.1 Ibs. per head daily), 

 with the same roughages, in trials averaging 92 days. 



Corn and legume hay for fattening lambs 



Average ration weight gain Corn Hay 



Initial Daily Feed for 100 Ibs. gain 



/eight gain Corn Hay 



Lbs. Lbs. Lba. Lbs. 



Corn allowance unlimited 

 Shelled corn, 1.3 Ibs. 



Clover or alfalfa hay, 1.4 Ibs 67 . 32 400 436 



Corn allowance limited 

 Shelled corn, 0.9 Ib. 



Clover or alfalfa hay, 2.1 Ibs 60 . 32 288 655 



The lambs given a full feed of corn consumed an average ration of 

 1.3 Ibs. shelled corn and 1.4 Ibs. clover or alfalfa hay and gained 0.32 

 Ib. per head daily, requiring 400 Ibs. shelled corn and 436 Ibs. hay per 

 100 Ibs. gain. Usually lambs fed a limited allowance of grain will 

 gain less rapidly than those fed all the grain they will eat. However, 



550 



