68 5 



In this series of trials no great difficulty was experienced in 

 keeping the lambs on feed as was the case when corn and timothy 

 without cottonseed meal were fed. The lambs fed timothy relished 

 their grain at all times but had poor appetites for hay. It is noted 

 that there was little difference in the grain eaten by the lambs of 

 these lots ; and what difference there was, was largely in the last 

 trial in which the lambs were very thin at the beginning. The 

 difference in the roughage consumption, however, was almost as 

 marked as when no cottonseed meal was fed. The lambs in the three 

 trials ate 47 per cent, more of clover than of timothy hay. 



An examination of the table shows that in each of the three 

 trials the lambs receiving timothy hay made less gain than those 

 receiving clover hay. The average daily gain per lamb for the three 

 trials was .268 pound when corn, cottonseed meal, and timothy hay 

 comprised the ration and .353 pound when corn, cottonseed meal and 

 clover hay were fed. This shows an increase of 32 per cent, in rate 

 of gain by the use of "a leguminous instead of a non-leguminous 

 roughage. 



The cost of gain with feeds at actual prices at time of experi- 

 ment showed 33 cents per hundred pounds to be the least difference 

 between the two roughages and in one case the difference was $2.76 

 per hundred pounds gain in favor of clover hay. The average of the 

 experiments shows a difference in cost, with corn at 40 cents per 

 bushel, of 87 cents per hundred pounds gain, and with corn at 60 

 cents per bushel of $1.12 per hundred pounds. As has been pre- 

 viously mentioned, these markedly poor results with timothy hay 

 are due to its unpalatability and to its lack of food nutrients with 

 which to balance a grain ration of corn. The poor feeding value 

 of timothy hay is more strongly emphasized when it is noted that 

 the difference in finish on the lambs was so great that in the first 

 trial, the lambs fed timothy hay were valued at 15 cents per hun- 

 dred pounds and in the last trial 47^2 cents per hundred pounds 

 less than those fed clover hay. 



From the results of these trials which include six direct com- 

 parisons between timothy and clover hay it is evident that the 

 former roughage is far inferior to the latter for fattening lambs, 

 and should not be used for this purpose except in extraordinary 

 cases. When fed with corn alone, the effect of timothy hay on the 

 thrift of the lambs was harmful. Little finish was added to the 

 lambs. The high cost of this hay also tends to prohibit its use 

 even if the feeding value were much higher. Considered as a 

 whole, the feeding of lambs with timothy hay as the only form of 

 roughage is to be discouraged, and this is especially true when corn 

 alone is the grain ration to be used. 



