272 



GROWING THE LAMB 



corn, two parts; crushed oats, two parts; linseed-oil meal, one part; 

 and wheat bran, one part. The wheat bran is very essential to this 

 mixture because it contains the mineral matter the growing lambs 

 need and being somewhat like a roughage it adds bulk to the ration 

 and aids in developing capacity for feed. The hulls from the oats 

 serve the same purpose. Lambs can be successfully raised without 

 the use of bran, but if it is not to be had, leguminous roughages such 

 as clover or alfalfa hay of the very best quality should be used. 

 Even if bran is available some first-class leguminous hay should be 



FIG. 179. Enjoying a sun bath. 



placed where the lambs can get it, for they will take to it as soon as 

 they do to grain. 



The idea has been advanced that the different kinds of grain to 

 be fed to the lambs should be placed, in separate compartments so 

 that each lamb can feed on the kinds it likes best. The writer has 

 had some experience along this line with corn, oats, bran, and 

 linseed oil cake (pea size). The difficulty lay in the fact that the 

 lambs preferred the most expensive feed, oil meal, and they did 

 not make enough more gain than lambs that were fed on a grain 

 mixture to justify feeding according to the free-choice system. 



Lamb Creeps. In order to feed the lambs grain and hay so 

 that they can eat at will, prepare a feeding place for them where 

 their mothers cannot follow. Such a place is called a creep. It 

 should be placed in the most comfortable part of the barn where 



