into the fleece and irritate the sheep. The manure should be removed 

 frequently during the winter months. 



Feeding the Pregnant Ewes. 



When clover or alfalfa hay is fed, with corn silage or roots as a 

 source of succulence, grain need not be fed until four to six weeks 

 prior to lambing. The expense of maintaining breeding ewes should 

 be as low as possible without injury to the forthcoming lamb. Ex- 

 periments 46 have shown that alfalfa alone is too expensive, that corn 

 silage alone causes the ewes and lambs to be weak ; but that a combi- 

 nation of corn silage not to exceed three pounds daily, and as much al- 

 falfa hay as the ewes will consume, furnishes an excellent roughage 

 ration. Timothy hay is a poor sheep feed, and causes constipation. Corn 

 stover and oat straw are good roughages, but must be fed with a 

 greater grain allowance and are best with some succulent feed like 

 corn silage in addition. Only good corn silage may be fed safely to 

 sheep, as sour, (highly acid) decomposed or moldy silage will result 

 in abortion or death to the pregnant ewes. Swedes or rutabagas, 

 turnips and carrots are satisfactory roots, but mangels and sugar 

 beets cause calculi 47 (stones) in the kidneys and should not be fed. 

 The allowance of roots to pregnant ewes should not exceed three 

 pounds daily. 



Some grain is necessary before lambing to stimulate greater milk 

 flow. It also serves to stimulate the appetite for roughage. If the 

 ewe is in good physical condition a quarter of a pound of a grain mix- 

 ture per ewe is sufficient,*this amount to be fed four to six weeks 

 prior to lambing. Grain should not be introduced into the ration or 

 increased materially within a week of lambing, as it may cause milk 

 fever. After the lambs have made a start the grain ration should be 

 increased to one-half pound per animal, and by any additional amount 

 considered necessary to meet existing conditions. Shepherds pre- 

 fer wheat bran, oats and oil meal for breeding ewes. Corn is con- 

 sidered too fattening, and is used sparingly. Experimental evidence 

 does not bear out the opinion of old shepherds on this point when corn 

 is fed in limited quantities. . A ration used by The Pennsylvania 

 State College with good results is composed of five parts shelled corn, 

 three parts oats, two parts wheat bran and one part oil meal. The 



^Pennsylvania Annual Reports 1911-12, 1913-14, and 1915-16. 

 47 Iowa Bulletin No. 112. 



46 



