SHEEP UNDER FARM CONDITIONS 165 



kept a few score or a few hundred sheep upon his 

 pasture and waste land, and has received, as prac- 

 tically clear profit, the market returns from all the 

 lambs he raised, has a source of revenue from his 

 small flock of sheep which is equaled from no live 

 stock investment which it is possible for him to 

 make. 



For most markets, the feeding process is begun 

 late in October or in November. In addition to late 

 fall pasture, such as rye or rape, the lamb will have 

 been eating a good deal of straw, corn fodder and 

 other dry forage, so that by the time he is actually 

 confined in close feeding pens and placed upon a 

 fattening ration, his digestive system has become 

 accustomed to the dry feed, and he will be in con- 

 dition to handle in an economical manner large 

 amounts of forage and grain, and should gain al- 

 most from the first day. Roots and succulent 

 feeds are not essential in successful lamb feeding. 

 Exhaustive experiments conducted at the Iowa sta- 

 tion indicate that, under some conditions, these 

 feeds may be detrimental to the most economical 

 gains. A well-balanced ration of hay and grain, 

 plenty of water, a favorable climate and regular 

 feeding are the factors which produce nearly all of 

 the fat lambs which are marketed in the great pack- 

 ing centers of this country. Alfalfa is beyond 

 question the best forage for fattening lambs. 

 Clover, cowpeas or some other leguminous forage 

 crop is almost indispensable. Where it is impos- 

 sible to secure forage of this character, sugar cane, 

 kafir corn or millet which have been cut at the 

 proper period and carefully cured, will produce good 

 gains when used in connection with a liberal grain 

 ration. Nearly all of the hundreds of thousands 

 of lambs fattened in the far West receive only al- 



