360 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



dropped a larger percentage of lambs than those near the latter 

 end of the season. (Utah B. 78.) 



LOSS OF WINTER-FED LAMBS. 



A trouble resembling apoplexy in human beings has for several 

 years been causing large losses among winter-fed lambs near Ba- 

 tavia, N. Y., a region where feeding lambs for the winter market is 

 a large industry. The lambs are bought largely in Buffalo or Chi- 

 cago, fed for a period of three and one-half to four months on a 

 highly fattening ration, and when fat are shipped back to Buffalo to 

 be slaughtered. Two crops of lambs are fed each year. The first lot 

 is bought about November 1 and is marketed in February. They 

 weigh about 60 pounds at purchase. It is considered that the great- 

 est profit is realized when they are marketed in 90 to 120 days at a 

 weight of 80 to 85 pounds. If the feeders are not able to dispose of 

 their first crop early in February, they usually get another lot to be 

 finished as early as possible up to June 1. The feeders utilize the 

 hay from their farms, alfalfa, clover, or timothy, together with bean 

 fodder, if they have it, and mill feeds, with a relatively large part of 

 the rations made up of corn and linseed-oil meal. Usually the corn 

 is fed whole and the oil meal preferably in the form of the oil cake 

 broken up into pieces a little larger than peas. 



The trouble appears suddenly and does its work quickly. It is 

 sometimes accompanied by paralysis. It nearly always proves fatal, 

 only about 1 or 2 per cent of those afflicted ever having been known 

 to recover. The disease seems to accur only where lambs are being 

 fed heavily, and it then attacks the strongest and most vigorous. 

 While this disease has been prevalent for some years, its exact cause 

 has not yet been determined. Two opinions have been set forward : 

 First, that the disease is caused by feeding an excess of protein in 

 the ration; second, that the disease is caused by overfeeding. (Dep. 

 Agr. 0. E. S. Vol. IV. No. 6.) 



Investigations by the department of animal husbandry of Cor- 

 nell University Experiment Station indicated that the trouble was 

 caused mainly by sudden overfeeding rather than from feeding a 

 narrow (high-protein) ration. The best results were obtained on 

 rations with a relatively narrow nutritive ratio that is, 1:5. It 

 seemed to be clearly shown that in a fattening ration for lambs a 

 relatively large amount of protein is necessary to keep the lambs up 

 on the heavy grain ration required for the best results in fattening. 



In the opinion of those who conducted the experiments on the 

 subject there should not be the wholesale loss from overfeeding that 

 some feeders have experienced if proper precautions are taken to 

 keep the rack spaces all occupied and to distribute the grain equally, 

 although there may be an occasional loss from the heavy feeding 

 or from nervous excitement, which is thought to be one cause of 

 apoplexy. (Dep. Ag. 0. E. S. Vol. IV. No. 6.) 



DIPPING. 



Nearly all range sheep are affected with scab, though it is fre- 

 quently held in check so as to be scarcely noticeable when the sheep 

 first arrive from the range. Its development appears a few weeks 



