EXPERIMENT ON SHED-FEEDING SHEEP. 



33 



at l^cZ. a day less than upon straw alone, and you g-et double 

 the quantity of milk ; so that one cow fed in this way yields 

 you fully as much milk as two would g'ive fed on straW; and 

 the manure is also twice as valuable. This oug-ht to show 

 you all the error you fall into. When you talk of keeping* 

 a cow all the winter upon straw, you merely talk of keeping* 

 her alive ; but your object should be to keep her so as to 

 yield you a profit, and this can only be done by keeping- her 

 on moist food, which, I have shown you above, it is more 

 profitable for you to do than to feed her on straw, supposing* 

 the straw was made a present to you. 



Agricultural Gazette, Dec. 19, 1846. 



Art. IX.— experiment ON SHED-FEEDING SHEEP, 

 By Richabd Woods, Scaftox Farm, Osbertox. 



The flock of sheep consists of the pure Leicester breed, 

 Southdown s, and half-breds, viz. between Leicesters and 

 Southdowns. Consequently, to test the relative qualities of 

 the Leicesters and half-breds, there was twenty-tv/o of each 

 kind chosen from the flock, and placed in two separate yards, 

 the size of the yards being* 12 yards by 10 yards, including* 

 sheds for them to run under during- the inclemency of the 

 weather. I must here remark, that at the time of folding 

 up they were in a condition that woidd be called fat, in conse- 

 quence of which they did not g-ain so much weig-ht as they 

 mig-ht have done had they been in a much lower state when 

 folded up. The kind and quantity of food g*iven to each 

 sheep per day was half a pound of linseed cake, half a pormd 

 of barley, and as many turnips as they could eat. The 

 following* is the exact and monthly weig-ht of each lot, being* 

 from the 13th December 1845 (the time of their first being* 

 folded) until the 13th April 184G :— 



In favour of Half-breds 



1845. 



13th Dec. .. 



1846. 

 13th Jan. . . 

 13th Feb. .. 

 13th March, 

 13th April, 



half-bheds. 

 St. lb. 

 9 



.207 



St. lb. 

 Increase. 



.238 

 .254 

 .274 



