SHEEP FEEDING. 95 



WEIGHT OF LAMBS. 



Table No. 3 gives the weight of the lambs and the gains made 

 during the time of the test. When put into the feeding lots the 

 lambs averaged 57.4 pounds and at the end of the feeding period 

 weighed an average of 80.5 pounds, a gain of 23 pounds in the 97 

 days. The year before the lambs gained an average of 25 pounds, 

 weighing 70 pounds at the beginning of the test. In proportion 

 to their beginning weight, therefore, these lambs gained propor- 

 tionally more than the lambs did the year before. It is well to 

 bear this fact in mind when we come to consider the final results 

 with these lambs. The average gain per day made by .each lamb 

 was .237 pounds. Considering the results for the different kinds- 

 of rations fed it will be noticed that the lambs fed on the screen- 

 ings made the largest gains, namely: .256 pounds per day. This 

 result coincides with previous tests, as recorded in Bulletin 47, and 

 in work previously done by the writer in Utah. The next largest 

 return was from the oat ration, namely: .246 pound per day. 

 Next follows the barley, then the mixed grain, and lastly the wheat 

 gives the poorest results. The year before the order was screenings, 

 mixed grain, wheat, barley and oats. There is scarcely enough dif- 

 ference in any of the results, however, to base very marked con- 

 clusions upon, and the test should be repeated before we can con- 

 clusively state which of these grains would be the best except with 

 regards to the screenings, which, for lambs, seems to be preferable 

 to any other grain. Comparing the gains by periods it will be 

 noticed that the screenings ration made the most uniform gains 

 throughout all the periods. During the third period, when the 

 maximum ration was fed, the lambs made the fastest gain, ranging 

 from .257 pounds to .307 pounds per day. During the third period 

 which might be called the true experimental period the order of the 

 grains for the different rations was as follows : First, the screen- 

 ings; second, the mixed grain; third, the oats; fourth, the barley, 

 and the wheat the poorest returns. This is nearer the results of the 

 year before than if we consider the whole time of the feeding. It 

 is too the correct basis upon which to base the relative value of the 

 gains as a part of the fattening ration for sheep. 



