192 THE DOMESTIC SHEEP. 



The most profit, however, was made from these lambs 

 by selling at weaning, when they made a profit of 68 

 cents per head over that made from those which did not 

 receive any grain. There is also a profit made by this 

 early feeding when tha lambs are sold all together in the 

 Fall, as shown by these figures: 



Lot 1. Lot 2. Lot 3. 



Value per head $4.76 $3.78 $3.14 



Cost per head 1.12 .42 



Profit per head 3.64 336 2.14 



Thus the lambs having grain food from birth made a 

 profit over those fed only from weaning of 28 cents, and 

 over those fed only while fattening of 52 cents per head; 

 while those fed from weaning made a profit of 23 cents 

 over those fed grain only after weaning and when fed for 

 fattening. It was not found that the previous condition of the 

 lambs fed from birth, had any result good or bad on the 

 final fattening of themselves, over the others, except so far 

 as above suggested that they took to the grain food, as in- 

 creased for the fattening, without any delay or w r aste of 

 time. 



VALUE OF DIFFERENT GRAINS FOR FATTENING. 



Another experiment made to test the difference in the 

 value of farm grown grains for fattening lambs, is recorded 

 in the same report. The intention of these experiments was 

 to show if any difference in cost might exist in the use 

 of the grain foods tested, which were corn, corn and oats, 

 corn and peas, and corn, peas and oats. It is a common 

 belief that a mixed ration may be fed more profitably than 

 any single one of the grains. This is not proved, however, 

 by these results. 



THE CONCLUSIONS TO BE DRAWN 



From these experiments may be summed up as follows: 

 First The highest rate of gain for any period was made 



when the lambs were fed grain before weaning. 



Second The rate of gain in the second period that is 



after weaning was the lowest of all three periods in the 



trial, though the cost of the gain was less than in the third 



or fattening period. 



Third The unlimited supply of grain after weaning 



caused the lambs to consume less pasture. A half pound of 



