FEEDS FOR SHEEP 557 



and hence sold for a lower price and shrank more on shipment. In these 

 trials oats were worth 33 per ct. less a ton than shelled corn. With 

 shelled corn at $1.45 per bushel, oats had an actual feeding value of 

 only 55 cents per bushel. 



To find whether there was any advantage in using oats as part of 

 the concentrates for fattening lambs, J. H. Skinner and King carried on 

 3 trials at the Indiana Station, 18 in each of which a mixture of about 

 5 parts oats and 7 parts corn was compared with shelled corn alone, 

 when fed with clover hay and corn silage for roughage. The lambs fed 

 corn as the only grain made slightly more rapid gains and required a 

 little less feed for 100 Ibs. gain. In a similar trial at the Nebraska 

 Station 19 Savin found that when oats replaced about one-third the 

 corn in a ration of shelled corn, linseed meal, and alfalfa hay they were 

 worth 23 per ct. less a ton than shelled corn. These trials show that in 

 a well-balanced ration corn is more satisfactory for fattening lambs, after 

 they are on full feed, than a mixture of corn and oats. 



Lambs fed clover hay for roughage made nearly as large gains on 

 oats as on barley in 2 trials by Linfield at the Montana Station, 20 but 

 required 6 per ct. more grain and 5 per ct. more hay for 100 Ibs. gain. 

 It is unnecessary to grind oats for sheep. (833) As is pointed out in 

 the next chapter, oats are an excellent feed for breeding ewes in the 

 winter. (883) 



852. Emmer. In certain districts of the northern plains states, em- 

 mer (wrongly called spelt) has become an important concentrate for 

 sheep and lambs. (233) In 3 trials 21 in which emmer has been compared 

 with shelled corn, alfalfa hay being the roughage, the lambs fed emmer 

 gained 0.28 Ib. per head daily on the average, while those fed corn 

 gained 0.31 Ib. The lambs receiving emmer required considerably more 

 feed per 100 Ibs. gain than the corn-fed lambs. Similar results were 

 secured in 2 trials at the South Dakota Station 22 in which mixed hay was 

 fed as the roughage. Considering the larger amount of both grain and 

 hay required per 100 Ibs. gain by the lambs fed emmer, we may conclude 

 that emmer is worth about 75 per ct. as much a ton as corn. In the 

 South Dakota trials emmer had a somewhat higher value when fed with 

 barley or corn, than when used as the sole concentrate. 



853. Grain sorghums. In the southern plains states the various grain 

 sorghums are of great importance for sheep feeding, because they pro- 

 duce satisfactory gains and are commonly considerably cheaper than corn 

 or the other cereals. (235-40) In a trial by Cochel at the Kansas Sta- 

 tion 23 grinding kafir did not increase its value for lambs. In 2 trials at 



18 Ind. Buls. 168, 179, 184. 

 "Information to the authors. 

 20 Mont. Buls. 47, 59. 



21 Average of 2 trials by Faville (Wyo. Buls. 81, 85), and 1 by Buffum and 

 Griffin (Colo. Bui. 75). 



^Wilson and Skinner, S. D. Buls. 80, 86. 

 "Information to the authors. 



