CARE OF THE EWE AND YOUNG LAMB 147 



pose, though it seems less palatable than oats or bar- 

 ley. Soybeans may replace the oilmeal and are bet- 

 ter. Soys are readily grown upon any farm and 

 should be regularly sown where lambs are grown. 



In the northern states early varieties of soybeans 

 should be grown, threshed when ripe and the seeds 

 kept for the lambs. The bean straw also if kept dry 

 has in it a good deal of nourishment which the ewes 

 will seek out and the coarser parts will serve as an 

 excellent bedding. 



There is hardly any other food that will push for- 

 ward lambs like soys. They have abundant protein 

 and a good deal of bone material also. As compared 

 with ordinary field peas they have 29 to 40 per cent 

 of protein, while field peas have 16 per cent and 

 cowpeas 18 per cent. Field peas are best adapted to 

 New England, Canada and Michigan, with some re- 

 gions of high altitude in the Eocky Mountains ; soy- 

 beans to all the cornbelt. As the oilmeals are stead- 

 ily increasing in price with possibilities of their fre- 

 quent adulteration the shepherd cannot afford to 

 overlook sources of home-grown protein. 



In the southern states the hairy vetch is a source 

 of home-grown protein not to be overlooked. Further 

 reference to this will be made when we take up the 

 subject of field crops for sheep. 



The lamb will drink a good deal of pure water, 

 even while sucking his mother. It should be readily 

 available and always clean enough for human con- 

 sumption. 



After tin lambs are well started on feed, the ewe 



