682 



The first noticeable effect of the timothy hay was on the appe- 

 tites of the lambs. For a few weeks, there was little difference in 

 the lambs in the two lots ; but after this time the lambs fed timothy 

 hay had much poorer appetites than those fed clover hay. Great 

 care was necessary to keep the timothy-fed lambs from going "off 

 feed." At the end of fifty-five days feeding with due care in the 

 first trial the timothy hay lambs went "off feed" and one died. Sev- 

 eral days 4 elapsed before they were eating well again. In the second 

 trial of 1911-12, the lambs fed timothy hay went "off feed" at the 

 end of fifty-eight days feeding but soon regained their appetites. 

 At no time, however, did the lambs fed timothy hay show the keen 

 eager appetites of those fed clover hay, and the longer the lambs 

 continued on feed the greater was the difference in their appetites, 

 caused by -the ration. All the trials show larger consumption of 

 both grain and roughage by the lambs receiving clover hay and the 

 trials extending over longer periods show more difference than in 

 the shorter trial. The average of the three trials shows that the 

 liambs fed corn and clover hay ate 20 per cent, more grain and 53 

 per cent, more hay than those fed corn and timothy hay. 



The gain of the lambs fed the two different kinds of 

 showed a 69 per cent, increase in rate by use of clover instead o1 

 timothy hay and a corresponding decrease in feed required to pix 

 duce a pound of gain of 40.7 per cent, in grain and 10.3 per cent 

 in roughage. This is due primarily to two factors : first, the differ- 

 ence in palatability and second, to the lack of protein in the ratk 

 of corn and timothy hay. In any ration palatability is very desira- 

 ble on account of more perfect digestion which is usually associ- 

 ated with a good appetite; and also on account of larger quantities 

 of food being eaten whereby the proportion of the nutrients used 

 in maintenance of the animal's body is relatively less. In addition 

 to being less palatable than clover, the timothy hay lacks sufficient 

 protein to meet the requirements of the animal. This lack of pro- 

 tein is characteristic of the non-leguminous roughages and becomes 

 most apparent when fed with corn which is also lacking in this 

 essential feeding element. Clover hay on the other hand, like the 

 other legumes such as alfalfa, cowpeas, and soy beans, has more 

 of this nutrient than is required in a balanced ration. This exces 

 of protein in the legumes eminently fits them for feeding with coi 

 because the abundance of nitrogenous food nutrients in the form* 

 balances the lack of this constituent in the latter, thereby producing 

 a ration of high feeding value for meat producing and growing 

 animals. 



When cost of gain is considered, the difference between the two 

 kinds of roughage for lamb feeding is very striking. At actual cos 



