CHAPTER XXXVI 



HISTORY OF SHEEP FEEDING IN THE UNITED 



STATES 



Sheep Feeding Defined. The following discussion of sheep 

 feeding deals with the feeding of western sheep and lambs on farms 

 and in feed lots. Although it is taken for granted that in all cases 

 the animals involved in the feeding process are to be purchased by 

 the feeder and that they are to be western sheep and lambs, much of 

 the discussion also applies to cases in which owners fatten lambs of 

 their own raising in autumn and winter. 



Origin of Sheep Feeding. It is only since about 1890 that the 

 practice of fattening western sheep and lambs has developed and 

 become widespread. This practice had its origin around the large 

 flour mills of St. Paul, Minneapolis, and other cities in the North- 

 west. Previous to 1890 the screenings or waste from these large 

 mills was looked upon as useless material and each year thousands of 

 tons were dumped into the streams. 



In 1892 William Wyman, of Hamline, Minnesota, upon conceiv- 

 ing the idea of using the waste from the large flour mills for fin- 

 ishing western sheep, constructed a feeding yard midway between 

 Minneapolis and St. Paul. His venture was a success, and his 

 demonstration encouraged others to take up the business of sheep 

 feeding. Immense yards, each accommodating several thousand 

 sheep, were built around Minneapolis, St. Paul, Chicago and other 

 cities where large flour mills were located. 



The common practice was to fill the yards with sheep and lambs 

 from Montana, Oregon, Wyoming, Idaho, and other western states 

 early in October, have them ready for the market about midwinter, 

 and then fill the yards again. The second crop was usually shorn 

 before time for marketing, which was near the first of June. 



For a few years after the practice of fattening sheep and lambs 

 on screenings began, both the animals and feed were obtained for a 

 small outlay of capital. Owners in the West, on account of not hav- 

 ing enough feed to fatten their surplus sheep and lambs, were glad 

 to dispose of them at very moderate prices, and, of course, the 



335 



