418 



Kansas State Board of Agriculture. 



moisture of any kind. The sheep should be left on the alfalfa only a 

 short time, and the length of time increased each day until the sheep be- 

 come accustomed to the feed. Flock masters have found, as a rule, that 

 it is never safe to give sheep free access to alfalfa pasture. 



Alfalfa hay is adapted to the feeding of sheep because of the fact 

 that it is a very cheap source of protein, and also supplies enough bulk 

 to maintain the breeding flock satisfactorily during the winter months 

 on alfalfa alone. However, best results are secured if some grain is 

 fed with it. 



The amount of alfalfa fed will depend upon the amount and price of 

 the hay. When alfalfa is cheap and plentiful and other roughages 

 scarce the sole ration for the flock could consist of alfalfa hay. On the 

 other hand, when the hay is scarce and high-priced, the ration could be 

 partially made up of straw, fodder and roughages of like nature. A 

 comparison of alfalfa hay with other roughages for sheep-feeding pur- 



FIG. 355. Another rack for feeding alfalfa hay to sheep. [Courtesy Breeder's Gazette.] 



poses shows many advantages in favor of alfalfa hay, and this is 

 especially true in Kansas, where alfalfa is grown so extensively. 



In five trials, averaging 100 days, where alfalfa was compared with 

 timothy and prairie hay in lamb-fattening experiments, the lots fed 

 alfalfa hay made larger and cheaper gains and required less feed per 

 100 pounds gain than did the lots fed timothy and prairie hay. 



The comparative value of alfalfa and clover hay as a roughage for 

 sheep is a much-disputed point. However, tests have shown that there 

 was a slight difference in favor of alfalfa hay. One test which was con- 

 ducted for several years showed that the sheep fed clover made a little 

 larger gains than those fed alfalfa, but the alfalfa lots showed a supe- 

 rior dressed carcass. 



