FATTENING RANGE LAMBS. 



75 



LIVE WEIGHTS AND GAINS. 



Both at the beginning- and close of the experiment, each lot was 

 weighed three consecutive morning's before being- fed or watered, 

 water having- been shut off at 5 p. m. the day previous. The 

 average of each three weights thus obtained was considered the 

 weig-ht on the second day, and these averages were taken as the 

 initial and the final weights respectively. 



A study of Table 3 will bring to notice the variation in weight of 

 animals from day to day and the great fluctuations in apparent 

 gains made in the intervals between weighing. The gains made by 

 all the lots from January 25 to February 15 were very large, 

 followed by a week of very small gains, with large gains the subse- 

 quent week. The reasons for these variations and fluctuations are 

 not easily determined, since so many factors might be concerned. 

 All weekly weights were taken under as nearly identical conditions 

 as could be secured by regularity of feeding and the withholding of 

 water from 10 a. m. until after weighing at 3:30 p. m. each day, so 

 that the possibility of variations, due to food or water consumed, was 

 reduced to the minimum. In spite of these precautions, however, 

 the variations were very marked in some instances, even on 

 consecutive days. 



TABLE 4 SUMMARY OF WEIGHTS AND GAINS. 



*Averag-e of three weights, Nov. 29, 30, Dec. 1. t Average of three weights, March 12, 13, 14. 

 tOne lamb died March 1, weight 85 Ibs. 



The total gains and daily gains per lamb for each lot are shown 

 in Table 4. As will be observed, lots 2, 3 and 4 made somewhat 

 larger gains than did lot 1. The differences in favor of lots 2, 3 and 

 4 are so small, however, that it cannot be said that any of the 

 rations possessed a decided superiority over any other so far as 

 ability to produce gains was concerned. It would not be surprising 

 if the same rations should give opposite results in future trials, and 

 it is safe for us to consider that the rations tested are of practically 

 equal value pound per pound for use in lamb feeding under the con- 

 ditions of this test. Although the gains made may be considered 

 the same for all practical purposes, yet the gains actually obtained 

 in this test will be used as the basis of all comparisons and 



