268 SHEEP FARMING IN AMERICA 



ably and only the winter's snowfall prevents their 

 being fed as readily as in the San Luis Valley. There 

 is no better feed for old ewes, or for lambing ewes, 

 than peas. The whole plant has a similar compo- 

 sition to milk, it rebuilds wasted tissue and creates 

 new flesh. 



ALFALFA-FED COLORADO LAMBS. 



The front range of the Eockies sends forth a 

 number of refreshing streams, creeks and rivers, 

 from the Animas river at Trinidad up to the Ar- 

 kansas in middle Colorado and the forks of the 

 Platte at Fort Collins. Early in the settlement of 

 Colorado it was learned that alfalfa grew wonder- 

 fully well on the plains, where, supplied with water 

 by irrigation, the difficulty seemed to be to use the 

 alfalfa. Finally some man tried feeding it to sheep, 

 then to lambs; grain was fed with it. A few car- 

 loads of the lambs went to eastern markets; the 

 killers tried them and pronounced them extraordi- 

 narily good and the Colorado lamb industry was 

 born. 



Colorado lamb feeding has had its ups and downs. 

 In the winter of 1898-1899 the feeders lost nearly 

 all the hay they put into the lambs, getting back 

 only the manure and pay for the corn bought in 

 Nebraska. In other years they have made very 

 large profits. At intervals they have tried feeding 

 other things calves, wethers, and ewes to lamb in 

 the feedlot. The wethers and calves are mostly 

 eliminated now and lambs are fed on an ever-in- 



