340 AGRICULTURE 



the area for the growth of wool. The three chief merino 

 breeds are : 



American Merino 

 Delaine Merino 

 Rambouillet 



Market classes of sheep. Wholly regardless of breed, 

 market demands divide sheep into three groups or classes. 

 These are (1) fat, or mutton sheep, or those ready for 

 slaughter; if the animals are less than one year old, they 

 are called lambs; (2) feeders, or animals ready to be fat- 

 tened; and (3) breeders. 



3. Feeding Sheep 



What has been said about the ability of sheep to forage 

 for a great part of their food must not be understood to 

 mean that it does not matter what sheep are given to eat. 

 For sheep are exactly like all other animals in requiring 

 the right proportion of nutritive elements in their food. 

 Lacking a proper ration, they will be checked in growth, 

 delayed in fattening, or short on the quantity and quality of 

 wool. 



Feeding ewes kept for breeding. Ewes that are to 

 produce lambs in the spring may be fed through the winter 

 on a cheaper ration than that required for the feeders. The 

 ewes need more of the muscle-forming, and less of the fat- 

 producing foods. Their rations may therefore consist more 

 largely of roughage, and less of grains than for the fat- 

 tening lambs. 



For breeding ewes weighing from one hundred and 

 twenty-five to one hundred and fifty pounds, the following 

 daily rations have been tested by the Minnesota Experiment 

 Station and have been found to be economical and satis- 

 factory : 



