Jan., 1911] FEEDING SHEEP AND LAMBS. 19 



that lies in overfeeding or attempting to make them constitute 

 the bulk of the ration. Turnips, on account of their watery- 

 nature, are not in themselves a substantial food. When extrava- 

 gantly fed, they are apt to render the ration too laxative and 

 produce scouring. Besides, to pregnant ewes heavy overfeeding 

 of turnips will not infrequently cause them to bring forth lambs 

 that are flabby or weakly. Four pounds per day to a sheep, 

 however, is a safe limit. 



Mangels and sugar beets, although rather more palatable and 

 sheep prefer them slightly to turnips, are for rams expressly 

 unsuited, as they are conducive to the deposition of calculi 

 in the kidneys, bladder and urethral tract.* These calculi are 

 composed chiefly of calcium phosphate, are irritative to the 

 urinary organs and will frequently attain sufficient size to close 

 completely the urethral tract, causing in consequence the certain 

 death of the ram. Turnips apparently have no such ill effect. 



To recapitulate, turnips reduce the cost of mutton production, 

 aid in the digestion of the fibrous foods and keep the sheep in a 

 healthy and vigorous physical condition. They are a boon in 

 the ration inasmuch as they prevent constipation and many 

 other resultant ills, which so frequently occur when sheep are 

 changed from pasture to dry feed. It must, however, always be 

 borne in mind that turnips should be supplied only as a supple- 

 mentary feed to give to the winter ration the slightly laxative 

 effect of pasture. 



* Bulletin 112, Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station. — Influence of feeding sugar beets and mangels to 

 breeding animals with special reference to the formation of renal and urinary calculi. 



