RATIONAL FEEDING OF ANIMALS 355 



sheep, the standard rations, as giyf *JL in th^ tables, can be 

 adhered to more closely than for any e Iher class of farm 

 animals. This is because a large nui ^ &. - of Deeding trials 

 and experiments have been made with sheep. More nutri- 

 ents are required for sheep than for beef animals, and they 

 are capable of making equally good returns from the food 

 consumed. Experiments by Lawes and Gilbert have 

 shown that during the process of fattening only a slight 

 increase in nitrogen takes place ; the gain in weight is 

 largely an increase in fat. During the growing period, 

 a more liberal allowance of available protein is required 

 than for fattening. Farm foods need but little reinforce- 

 ment with mill and other products for the production of 

 mutton. Henry, in "Feeds and Feeding, ' ' states that about 

 500 pounds of corn and 400 pounds of clover will produce 

 100 pounds of gain in live weight of lambs, and he gives 

 these figures for calculating the cost of production. The 

 grinding of grains is not so necessary in sheep- feeding as 

 in dairy feeding. Among the grains, corn, barley, wheat 

 and oats have all been found valuable. Oil meal and 

 other milled products are also suitable, provided their 

 cost is not too high. Among the coarse fodders, clover 

 hay, alfalfa, corn fodder and silage are particularly valu- 

 able. Roots should also form a part of the ration. Vari- 

 ety and palatability should be considered. 



480. Calculation of Balanced Rations. In calculating 

 a balanced ration, the food requirements of the animal, 

 as given in the table of feeding standards, are first noted. 

 A reasonable variety of coarse fodders, grains and roots 

 is selected on the basis of cost, as explained in Section 



