368 A STUDY OF FARM ANIMALS 



however, it will be wise to recognize the requirements set 

 forth in the previous table arranged from the modified 

 Wolff-Lehmann standards given by Henry and Morrison.* 



The important features of this table are in harmony with 

 those applied to other classes of live stock, that is, as the 

 period of fattening increases less protein is required, and 

 the nutritive ratio is gradually widened. It is also interest- 

 ing to note that, under conditions of fattening, lambs of 

 1,000 pounds live weight, require less protein than fatten- 

 ing pigs, but somewhat more than fattening steers; but 

 the same relationship in total solids applies to these three 

 groups of animals. 



The effects of age on the growth of sheep is quite com- 

 parable with that of other animals. The first year the 

 growth is most rapid, and gains in weight are made more 

 slowly thereafter until maturity is reached. Coffey quotes 

 a French investigator, Senequier, f who observed the weights 

 of ten ewes from birth to maturity and found that the most 

 rapid gain in weight was during the first two months, while 

 three fourths of the increase was made the first year. At 

 the fifth month about one half the total mature weight was 

 attained, while between the eighth and ninth months three 

 fourths of the weight was reached. During the second year 

 the rate of gain was still diminished, and continued falling 

 off from the twenty-fifth month to maturity. Lambs are 

 most popular for feeding, as they generally respond best to 

 feed, and so are the logical animals to be fed. Yearlings and 

 wethers are relatively scarce and tend to feed into heavy 

 mutton, which is not popular on the American market. 



The form of food to be fed sheep naturally depends 

 upon the class of animals and conditions surrounding them. 

 A fine type of roughage such as alfalfa, for example, is more 

 easily handled in the small mouth of the sheep than is 

 heavy, coarse material. The finer legumes and hay are, 



*Feeds and Feeding, 1917. 



t Productive Sheep Husbandry, 1918. 



