232 FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



first rank, and are always to be preferred for lamb 

 feeding, fattening ewes or wethers, or during the 

 lambing season. In their absence the mixed hays 

 may be used, but heavier grain feeding will be neces- 

 sary, particularly at lambing time. 



Temporary Fences by Means of Hurdles. In 

 grazing forage crops like peas and rape, temporary 

 fences in the form of hurdles may be used. These 

 hurdles are moved forward every few days, provid- 

 ing in this way a strip of fresh pasture. Otherwise, 

 if given the run of a field, much forage will be de- 

 stroyed and soiled by tramping. Move the hurdles 

 before the eaten-over portion has been cleaned up. 



Putting Sheep on Full Grain Rations. If grain 

 has been fed while sheep are at pasture, it is an 

 easy matter to change from pasture to yard and put 

 on fattening rations. Beginning with a fourth of a 

 pound of grain daily, the amount may gradually be 

 increased by a fourth of a pound the second week, 

 and so on. At the end of the fourth week the ani- 

 mals should be cleaning up a pound or more of grain 

 each day. By the end of two months a daily allow- 

 ance of i y* or 2 pounds may be fed. It is seldom 

 advisable to feed more than two pounds of grain a 

 head daily. The good shepherd watches his sheep 

 and observes the first indication of bad appetite. 

 When noticed, he corrects the trouble at once. 



Green Crops for Roughage. Sheep are most at 

 home in pasture fields. They feed not only on the 

 tender grass blades, but they strip weeds and other 

 foul plants of their leaves and branches. They are 

 in truth the plant scavengers of the farm. But kept 



