SHEEP FEEDING. Ill 



AMOUNT AND COST OF FOOD EATEN BY SHEEP. 



Table No. 2 gives the amount and cost of the food eaten by 

 the sheep in the experiment during the winter 1904-5. The wethers 

 in lot 5 received one-half of a pound of grain per day as a maximum 

 ration, while lot 6 received one pound per day as a maximum. How- 

 ever the two lots were started with the same amount of grain and 

 this amount was gradually increased, at the same proportion 

 for each, from 1-5 of a pound per day to one half of a pound for lot 

 5 and to i pound for lot 6. The result was that lot 6 ate 492 pounds 

 of grain more than lot 5. It will also be noticed that lot 5 ate 454 

 pounds of hay more than did lot 6. The difference in the hay eaten, 

 however, is greater in the first period than in the second period, 

 when there was a maximum difference in the grain. On the avei> 

 age for 65 days lot 5, with a light grain ration, required 18.4 

 pounds of clover and 1.81 pounds of grain for each pound of in- 

 crease in live weight, while lot 6, with a heavier grain ration, re- 

 quired 18.21 pounds of clover and 2.61 pounds of grain for each 

 pound of gain. This shows a saving of .8 pound of grain by feed- 

 ing the light grain ration. Considering the cost of the gain at the 

 prices of feed given the light grain ration saved .8 cents for each 

 pound of gain made. This is certainly a very interesting result, 

 but as this is the first test we 'have made upon this point it would 

 be wise to withhold any definite conclusions until the test has been 

 repeated. 



Considering, next, the "poison plant" sheep, we find that lot I, 

 the heavier and stronger sheep, ate much more hay, namely, 1,438 

 pounds, than lot 2 during the first period. The weaker lot did not 

 clean up their hay and there was thus a large amount of waste. For 

 the second period the difference is less. To compensate for 1,628 

 pounds less of hay eaten by lot 2 during the 65 days they had 848 

 pounds of roots. Both lots ate the same amount of grain. Lot I 

 ate an average of 2.85 pounds of hay and .68 pounds of grain per 

 day, which was i pound less hay than eaten by the wethers. Lot 2 

 ate 2.07 pounds of hay per day and .68 pounds of grain. Consider- 

 ing the food eaten for each pound of gain we find that lot i required 

 14.66 pounds of hay and 3.49 pounds of grain for each pound of 

 increase in live weight, while lot 2, the weaker sheep, required but 

 10.09 pounds of clover and 3.31 pounds of grain for each pound of 



