THE MAINTENANCE OF BREEDING EWES 

 OF MUTTON AND WOOL SHEEP 1 



B. O. SEVERSON 



Pennsylvania offers to its farmers special opportunities and 

 facilities for the production of mutton and wool. Sheep are by 

 nature suited to its extensive grazing areas, at present utilized by 

 only a limited number of grazing animals ; its natural production 

 of forage crops ; its favorable climate and soil ; and its excellent 

 markets. 



The marked increase in value of both mutton and wool during 

 the year 1916 demonstrates the American shortage of and demand 

 for those commodities. The actual averages of prices for the five 

 years covered by the experiment discussed in this bulletin are given 

 herewith. The prices of 1916, compared with the average prices of 

 1914 and 1915, showed an increase in the value of mutton of 13.2 per 

 cent to 16.6 per cent ; in the value of wool, of 26.4 per cent to 36 per 

 cent, in the various lots of sheep under investigation. 



This investigation was begun December 1, 1911. Details of 

 the results of Part I were published in the annual reports of The 

 Pennsylvania State College for 1911-12 and 1913-14 2 . A summary 

 of those details of Part II, as given in the report for 1915-16, is also 

 reported herewith. 



Object 



The object of these experiments was the collection of data 

 upon the following factors: 



1. The possibilities for sheep raising in Pennsylvania. 



2. The cost of maintaining breeding ewes. 



3. Influence of type upon cost of maintenance. 



4. Value of corn silage as a sole roughage for breeding ewes. 



5. Effect of corn silage on lambs produced. 



6. Value of alfalfa hay and corn silage vs. corn silage alone, 

 as a roughage. 



7. Value of an open shed as shelter. 



8. Cost of maintaining ewes during summer months. 



9. Value of wool. 



10. Value and cost of lambs at marketable age. 



11. Value of alfalfa hay as a sole roughage for breeding ewes. 



1 Reprints of the details of the investigation, including costs, will be mailed 

 upon request. Reprint of 1913-14 is now available. Reprint of 1915-16 will be 

 available January 1, 1918. 



2 Annual Report, Penna. State College, 1915-16. 



