566 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



alfalfa hay at the next, claiming that lambs so fed gain as well as tho 

 alfalfa formed the sole roughage. Shaw 65 advises that when both legume 

 hay and straw or other rather unpalatable roughages are fed, the legume 

 hay should be given for the evening meaL It is pointed out later in this 

 chapter that lambs fed oat straw and corn silage for roughage, with corn 

 and plenty of protein-rich supplement to balance the ration, do not make 

 as large or as economical gains as when legume hay is fed in place of the 

 straw. (869) 



III. SUCCULENT FEEDS 



863. Value of succulent feeds. One of the chief advantages of succu- 

 lent feeds, so keenly relished by sheep, is their tonic and regulating 

 effect. Eoots are universally fed in large amounts to sheep in Great 

 Britain, and to this fact may be attributed much of the reputation of the 

 British shepherd for producing mutton of the highest quality. As is 

 shown in the following articles, experiments in this country have proved 

 that roots can be successfully replaced by corn silage, which is produced 

 at lower cost in most sections of the United States. (109) 



864. Roots. The value of roots for fattening lambs is shown in the 

 following summary of 5 trials, averaging 113 days, in each of which one 

 lot was fed roots in addition to an already excellent ration of grain 

 (chiefly corn) and either alfalfa, clover, or mixed clover and timothy 

 hay. 



Value of roots for fattening lambs 



Initial Daily Feed for 100 Ibs. gain 



Average ration weight gain Grain Roots Hay 



Lba. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. 



Roots, total of 41 lambs* 

 Roots, 3.7 Ibs. 

 Hay, 1.4 Ibs. 



Grain, 1.4 Ibs 81 0.39 374 940 358 



No roots, total of 41 lambs* 

 Hay, 1.7 Ibs. 



Grain, 1.5 Ibs 82 0.32 456 ... 525 



*Average of 3 trials by Kennedy, Robbins, and Kildee (Iowa Bui. 110), 1 by Smith and Mumford 

 (Mich. Bui. 113), and 1 by Arkell (N. H. Bui. 152). 



In these trials the allowance of roots mangels, sugar beets, rutabagas, 

 or turnips ranged from 1.9 to 5.0 Ibs. per head daily, the average being 

 3.7 Ibs. The lambs fed roots ate 0.1 Ib. less grain and 0.3 Ib. less hay per 

 day but made 0.07 Ib. larger daily gain. It is noteworthy that in each 

 of the 5 trials the root-fed lambs made the larger gains. In these trials 

 100 Ibs. of roots replaced 8.7 Ibs. of grain and 17.7 Ibs. of hay. 



Rutabagas and mangels are the roots most commonly used for sheep 

 feeding. (365-74) Where the summers are too hot for rutabagas to 

 thrive, as in the central corn belt, mangels or sugar beets are preferable. 

 Turnips are good for fall feeding, and cabbage is highly esteemed in 

 fitting sheep for shows. When fed to sheep, mangels and sugar beets tend 



"Management and Feeding of Sheep, p. 212. 



