222 MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF SHEEP 



of the roof, through which the grain is admitted to the 

 boxes. Near the base of the sides is an opening running 

 the entire length of the boxes, and through this opening 

 the grain comes down into low troughs as fast as it is 

 eaten by the sheep. Under the box supports are placed 

 which raise it high enough from the ground to allow the 

 sheep to eat the food with comfort. The hay racks used 

 are in some instances of somewhat similar construction. 



Although self-feeders may sometimes be used with 

 advantage on the ordinary farm, the wisdom of using 

 them is to be questioned. The sheep, when taking food, 

 leave more or less saliva on the uneaten grain in the box, 

 which fact detracts somewhat from its palatability, 

 resulting in a less consumption of the food. When the 

 sheep have access at all times to the food, the appetite 

 is less keen for taking food than when they take it at 

 stated times and in a way that consumes the entire 

 amount fed at each time of feeding. Experiments con- 

 ducted have tended to show that such feeding is expen- 

 sive, notwithstanding the saving in labor. They have 

 also shown that with some kinds of food it is more diffi- 

 cult to maintain the sheep in good health when thus fed. 

 Such was the experience of the author in feeding lambs at 

 the Minnesota station. Nevertheless, there is a place for 

 self-feeders, as when sheep are fed in a wholesale way at 

 the stock yards, and it may be at large feeding stations in 

 the semi-range country. Where wheat screenings is the 

 chief grain food fed, as it is usually at the stock yards, 

 the use of self-feeders is more justifiable than elsewhere, 

 as is shown below. 



All kinds of grain cannot be fed in self-feeders with 

 equal advantage. The more concentrated and rich the 

 grain food, the more hazard is there in feeding it thus. It 

 would be disastrous to feed corn alone in self-feeders for 

 any long-continued period, as the tax thus put upon the 

 energies of the system in digesting quantities so large 

 of such a food would result in derangement of the diges- 



