FATTENING SHEEP AND LAMBS IN WINTER 233 



Merino types, do not usually make gains quite equal to 

 those of the distinct mutton breeds. Likewise less in- 

 crease is to be expected from culls than from sheep pos- 

 sessed of good form and robust individuality. Lambs will 

 usually make larger increase than sheep that are older, 

 and the relative increase grows less with advancing age. 

 A ration well furnished with protein will usually be at- 

 tended with largest increase during the early stages of 

 fattening, but more of carbohydrates are wanted during 

 the more advanced stages to make rapid increase. 



The normal increase will vary, of course, with the 

 conditions just pointed out. Moderate increase in lambs 

 on feed will approximate 7^4 pounds per month ; good in- 

 crease, 10 pounds ; and excellent increase, 12 pounds. The 

 normal increase from wethers and other mature sheep will 

 probably approximate 20 to 25 per cent less. 



The source of the profit from fattening sheep is sel- 

 dom found in the increase made while they are being thus 

 fattened. It comes from the enhanced value of each 

 pound of the live weight possessed when the fattening 

 process began. The market values of food are such that 

 in nearly all instances a pound of increase made costs 

 more in the food used in making it than it will sell for in 

 the market, and yet the advance in value of each pound 

 of the original weight may be such as to result in sub- 

 stantial profits. 



Profit in fattening in winter The real source of the 

 profit has just been pointed out, and yet other factors 

 have an important influence in determining what the de- 

 gree of the profit shall be, if any. Chief among these are 

 the prices paid for the animals purchased, if purchased, 

 and received for them when marketed, the weight when 

 put on feed, the relative increase made and the cost of the 

 food fed. From what has been said it will be apparent 

 that in order to make any profit on the animals fed, there 

 must be some increase in the selling over the buying 

 price. 



