FEEDS FOR SHEEP 567 



to form calculi, or stones, in the kidneys and bladder., which may cause 

 death in the case of rams and wethers. 66 Therefore these roots should 

 not be fed to males for long periods, but ewes are not thus affected. 



865, Lessons from Great Britain. The value of succulent feed in the 

 form of roots for sheep fattening is well shown in the compilation made 

 by Ingle of the results of sheep-feeding trials reported in Great Bri- 

 tain 67 from 1844 to 1905, numbering 194. From his extended report 

 the following typical examples show the use British farmers make of 

 roots in fattening sheep and lambs : 



Rations used by British farmers in fattening sheep and lambs 



Average ration weight gain per head 



.itial Daily Total gain 



reighi 

 Lbs. 



Oxford-Hampshire lambs, fed 87 days 



Roots, 5.7 Ibs. 



Kohlrabi, 11.2 Ibs. 



Clover hay, 0.38 Ib. Linseed cake, 0.7 Ib 117 0. 48 43 



Leicester-Blackfaced lambs, fed 105 days 



Swedes, 15.3 Ibs. 



Hay, 0.7 Ib. No concentrates 80 0.21 22 



Oxford lambs, fed 102 days 



Swedes, 22.9 Ibs. Linseed cake, 0.3 Ib. 



Hay, 0.4 Ib. Barley, 0.3 Ib 107 0.43 42 



Cotswold yearlings, fed 121 days 



Roots, 15 Ibs. 



Hay, 1.0 Ib. Cottonseed cake 1.6 Ibs Ill 0.33 41 



Leicester-Blackfaced lambs, fed 63 days 



Swedes, 19.3 Ibs. Dried dist. grains, 0.5 Ib 72 0. 39 25 



Leicester-Blackfaced lambs, fed 105 days 



Swedes, 12.8 Ibs. Linseed cake, 0.7 Ib 81 . 36 37 



Not only is the large allowance of roots noteworthy, but also the 

 almost universal use of oil cake linseed or cottonseed. The gains re- 

 ported in the first trial are surprising, considering that the only con- 

 centrate fed was 0.7 Ib. linseed cake per head daily. In the second trial 

 fair gains were secured on swedes and hay alone. In the last 2 trials 

 the lambs fed no dry roughage, but only roots and dried distillers' grains 

 or linseed cake, made excellent daily gains. 



Altho these British trials show that large amounts of roots may be 

 safely fed to sheep, it is not ordinarily profitable in this country to 

 feed over 4 to 5 Ibs. per head daily, and even half this allowance, pref- 

 erably pulped or sliced, will furnish the needed succulence in the ration. 



866. Corn silage vs. roots. Owing to the low cost of producing corn 

 silage, the possible substitution of this succulence for roots is a question 

 of prime importance. The following table summarizes the results of 7 

 trials, averaging 116 days, in which corn silage and roots (sugar beets, 

 mangels, rutabagas, or turnips) were compared, when fed with concen- 

 trates and legume or mixed hay: 



"Iowa Bui. 112. 



"Trans. Highl. and Agr. Soc. Scotland, 1910. 



