CHAPTER XXX. 



EIPEEIMENTS IN FATTENING SHEEP — WOOL PRODUCTION. 



I. Feeds and Fattening. 



757. Indian corn. — Since a large proportion of the sheep in 

 this country are fattened on corn, both student and stockman 

 are interested in learning the quantity of this grain required for 



a given gain. In tlie table below are presented the results of live 

 trials with com for fattening lambs at three Stations. The aver- 

 age of these trials should constitute reliable data as to the quan- 

 tity of corn and hay required to produce one hundred pounds of 

 gain with lambs. 



Fattening lambs on com ayid hay — Michigan, Wisconsin and 



Minnesota Stations. 



Where fed- 



Days 

 fed. 



Feed eaten. 



Corn. Hay. 



Av. 



wt. at 

 begin- 

 ning, 



Gain. 



Av. 

 daily 

 gain. 



Feed for 100 

 lbs. gain. 



Com. Hay. 



Michigan* 



Michigan* 



Michigan t 



Wisconsin j 



Minnesota | 



Av. of 5 trials 



105 

 105 

 91 

 56 

 84 



Lbs. 



1,579 

 1,506 

 1,208 

 428 

 1,103 



Lbs. 



1,097 

 961 



1,142 

 288 

 849 



Lbs. 



82 

 82 

 85 

 86 

 71 



Lbs. 



328 

 248 

 233 

 104 

 211 



Lbs. 



.31 



.24 

 .26 

 .37 



Lbs. 



481 

 607 

 518 

 411 

 523 



Lbs. 



334 

 387 

 490 

 277 

 402 



88 



1,165 867 



81 



225 



508 



878 



* Bui. 113. t Bui. 128. t Rept. 1895. ^ Bui. 31. 



In the Wisconsin trial there were 5 lambs; in the other trials 

 there were 10 lambs. 



From this table we learn that lambs averaging 81 pounds each 

 during feeding trials averaging 13 weeks in length made gains 

 of three-tenths of a pound per head daily, requiring about 500 

 pounds of corn and 400 pounds of hay for 100 pounds of increase, 

 live weight. (566, 845) 



