238 CARE OF EWES DURING PREGNANCY 



with less expensive feeds than oil meal and bran it would be better 

 not to use them. In most cases, it is possible to keep pregnant ewes 

 in desirable condition by feeding oats, corn, and some leguminous 

 roughage, as clover, alfalfa hay, soy bean or cow pea hay. Indeed, 

 it is often unnecessary to feed any grain when these roughages are 

 available, but should it be desirable to make use of less nutritious 

 roughages rather low in protein, as oat or wheat straw (and there 

 should be a desire to use these roughages), then it is advisable to 

 put easily digested feeds of high protein content in the concentrate 

 part of the ration. It is better, too, to make use of the poorer 

 roughages before lambing time than it is after, because, owing to the 

 many demands made upon them, ewes with lambs at side should have 

 nutritious, easily digested feeds. 



Silage. 1 Of late years the question has been frequently asked : 

 " Is corn silage a good feed for pregnant ewes ?" Indeed, it is a 

 good feed, provided certain precautions are observed in making it 

 and feeding it. It should be made when the grains on the ears 

 of corn are passing out of the dough stage and beginning to harden. 

 In the process of making it the corn plant should be cut very fine 

 and distributed evenly in the silo so that there will be a minimum 

 of moldy silage. In feeding it care should be taken not to give the 

 sheep any that is moldy or frozen, and in no case should it be fed 

 to excess. For ewes weighing about 150 pounds one and a half to 

 three pounds per head daily is enough, although it may be possible 

 to feed more with safety. Along with the silage the ewes should 

 get some palatable dry roughage, and they should also have some 

 grain, for silage is essentially a roughage and should not be regarded 

 as a substitute for grain. 



Because of its succulent nature the use of silage should make 

 ewes more healthy and thrifty, particularly if no green feed is 

 available in the fields. And in the northern states there are nearly 

 always periods in winter when the fields either contain no feed or 

 when for some other reason they should not be pastured. 



Silage is regarded as a cheap feed. On this account it should re- 

 ceive favorable consideration as a part of the ration for pregnant 

 ewes. But it is doubtul whether the owner of flocks of one hundred 

 ewes or less can afford to build a silo solely for his sheep, because 

 with a small number it is difficult to feed the silage off fast enough 



J See Chapter XXXI.X for further discussion on silage and roots. 



