2IO MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF SHEEP 



the sole fattening food, the only caution to observe is 

 not to increase too rapidly the quantity fed. 



The amount to feed at the first will depend on the 

 character of the food previously eaten. When sheep or 

 lambs put on feed have never tasted grain previously, 

 which is sometimes the case with sheep grown on western 

 ranges, the quantity of grain fed at the first should be 

 very small, less probably than one-fourth of a pound per 

 animal daily. If previously well used to grain, the amount 

 fed may be larger, and it may be increased more rapidly 

 than with the former. With lambs that have been re- 

 ceiving a somewhat liberal grain ration from the period 

 of weaning on to the fattening season, full feeding may be 

 attained in a very short period; in fact, it may also 

 begin with the beginning of the fattening season. For 

 the amount of grain that constitutes full feeding, see 

 page 210. 



From what has been said it will be very evident that 

 the time required to get sheep that are being fattened on 

 full feed will vary greatly. With foods rich in nitrogen 

 a less period is required than with foods rich in carbo- 

 hydrates. The less concentrated also the grain fed, the 

 shorter the period required to reach full feeding. But 

 the less that the sheep have been used to grain feeding, 

 the longer the time called for to reach this period. It 

 would seem correct to say that in no case should more 

 than four weeks be necessary for such feeding, and in 

 but few instances can it be reached in one week. As the 

 period advances the grain fed is gradually increased from 

 day to day in quantity, and sometimes also in strength. 



When the grain feeding is crowded too fast, the first 

 indications of the fact in the conduct of the sheep will be 

 seen in the loss of appetite. The moment that such con- 

 ditions manifest themselves, the animals thus affected 

 should be removed from the others and put on reduced 

 rations. If such instances are at all numerous the quan- 

 tity of the grain fed should be reduced until normal con- 



