242 THE STOCKFEEDER'S COMPANION 



some cases, is. per head per week for the grass 

 consumed. 



It is on the mixed lowland farms, where sheep are 

 both bred and fattened, that one gets the widest 

 experience with sheep, and it is on such farms that 

 the following remarks are chiefly intended to apply. 

 The class of sheep bred on lowland farms are much 

 larger than the hill and mountain sheep, largely due 

 to the fact that they have been bred and selected for 

 the production of mutton at a much earlier age than 

 is the case on hill farms. 



Feeding the Ram. 



Previous to being placed with the ewes, the ram 

 should be specially fed for a few weeks so as to put him 

 into proper condition. If too fat, he should have plenty 

 of exercise and shorter rations. The concentrated food 

 should be fairly rich in albuminoids, and may well consist 

 of equal parts of bran and oats, allowing about I Ib. per 

 head per day. Many of the best breeders give each ram 

 a couple of doses of Epsom salts before placing him 

 with the ewes. The time of year when the ram would 

 be placed with the ewes would depend on the breed 

 as well as the purpose for which the lambs were 

 required ; e.g. y Dorset breeders place the rams with the 

 ewes from beginning of September to middle of October. 

 The same applies to other districts where early lambs 

 are fattened off; while in hill districts, where the 

 lambs are reared and sold out later on in store 

 condition, it is not usual to have the lambs coming 

 before April. 



