ing 







RATIONS FOR FATTENING WESTERN SHEEP 339 



pounds gain," 278.61 pounds of corn silage was equivalent to 69.17 

 pounds of shelled corn, and 241.62 pounds of clover hay in produc- 

 ing gains. Figuring the replacement value of corn silage on the 

 ove figures and valuing corn at forty cents per bushel, and clover 

 ay at $10.00 per ton, one ton of corn silage is worth $11.23 in this 



Kcific trial. 

 The carcasses in both lots were graded good. However, when 

 ced according to their selling value, the silage-fed lot (Lot V) 

 5 ranked above Lot II. 

 The silage fed in this experiment was of good quality. It is 

 icrally dangerous to feed mouldy silage to sheep. In general, 

 the bad results from feeding silage to sheep have been due to mouldy 

 d sour silage. Silage of poor quality cannot be recommended as 

 sheep feed. Even with good quality silage, the feeder should be 

 ry careful to pick out any mouldy spots which sometimes occur 

 good silage. 



REGULAR FEEDING VS. SELF-FEEDERS. 



The high cost and difficulty of obtaining satisfactory farm help 

 ive prevented many from feeding sheep. To determine whether 

 ie self-feeder might be used in solving the help problem, Lot VI 

 is fed grain by means of a self-feeder during the last eight weeks 

 the trial. A V-shaped hopper was constructed above the ten- 

 ich grain trough so arranged that the shelled corn would feed 

 down into the grain trough. This lot was handled in exactly the 

 same manner as all the other lots for the first six weeks, i.e., they 

 were started on corn gradually and three weeks were spent in getting 

 them onto full feed. They were then carried along in the usual 

 way until the end of the sixth week. During the remaining eight 

 weeks, this lot received their grain from a self-feeder, fresh grain 

 being put in the feeder every four or five days. Table VI shows the 

 value of a self-feeder as compared with hand feeding. 



