FITTING YEARLING WETHERS AND LAMBS FOR EXHIBITION 13 



Lot 4. Oats, 5 parts; barley, 5 parts. 



Records were kept of the actual amount of grain consumed and 

 of the weights and gains made, the sheep being weighed every 

 two weeks. 



No hard and fast rule was followed, nor can one be given, for 

 feeding grain to show sheep, unless it is to feed according to the 

 condition of the wethers, the appetite of the sheep, and the judg- 

 ment of the feeder, which has been developed from actual experi- 

 ence. Some showmen have experienced bitter disappointments 

 by feeding all the sheep would eat, which resulted in their being 

 overdone and in a soft condition at the time of showing. At the 

 beginning of the feeding period during extremely hot, and also 

 during dull, moist weather the sheep were fed smaller amounts of 

 grain, in order to avoid getting them off feed, than they were fed 

 after getting them accustomed ^o grain and during the clear, cool 

 weather. During the coldest weather they were fed most liberally. 

 To begin with, one-half to one pound of grain per head daily was 

 fed. During the first month the wethers were usually fed grain 

 in the morning just before being turned to pasture, while usually 

 from about the middle of September grain was fed twice a day 

 until the end of the trial. The time to commence feeding grain 

 twice a day must be determined largely by the condition of the 

 wethers and how fast they must be pushed forward, or possibly 

 held back, to insure their being in prime condition at the time 

 they are to be shown. The ability on the part of the feeder to 

 know when to feed liberally or moderately is the key to success in 

 fitting. For the greater part of the feeding period one and one- 

 half to two pounds of. grain per head was fed to the wethers, and 

 in only a few instances and for only short periods of time did the 

 amount of grain fed daily exceed two pounds for any of the lots. 



RESULTS OF FEEDING VARIOUS GRAIN RATIONS 



Table I shows the average weekly gain per head, amount of 

 grain consumed per head daily, and the amount of grain con- 

 sumed per pound of gain for each lot included in the two re- 

 spective three-year periods. 



From Table I it will be noted that the principal difference in 

 the rations fed during the two periods was in the addition of 

 wheat bran, which was fed during the second period. The bran 

 was added to lessen the difficulty of keeping the wethers on feed, 



