SHEEP 



601 



matter. The dry matter in sugar beet 

 pulp was found to be equal in feeding 

 value, pound for pound, to corn. That 

 is, a ton of sugar beet pulp containing 

 90 per cent water, was equivalent in 

 feeding value to 200 pounds of corn. 



In other experiments at the station, a 

 pound of pulp was found equal in feed- 

 ing value to 2 pounds of sugar beets. 



When sugar beet pulp was fed with 

 alfalfa at the Utah station, it had a 

 feeding value of $1.86 per ton. A 

 pound of gain was made on 8 pounds 

 of alfalfa and 18 pounds of pulp. Bet- 

 ter results were secured when a small 

 grain ration was fed in addition. When 

 fed in limited quantities with alfalfa, 

 the results were not as good as when 

 fed ad libitum. Successful feeders in 

 Utah assign to sugar beet pulp . a value 

 of about $2.5"0 a ton as a feeding stuff 

 for sheep. 



Owing to the bulky nature of sugar 

 beet pulp, lambs cannot consume enough 

 in the later stages of fattening to finish 

 off well. Hence it should be fed only in 

 limited amount for its physiological ef- 

 fects. When fed in large amounts dur- 

 ing the finishing off period at the Colo- 

 rado station, it produced a soft flesh 

 and in shipping many of the lambs were 

 crippled. 



Owing to the succulent nature oi the 

 pulp, special care must be taken to keep 

 the yards of the sheep dry by means of 

 drains and plenty of litter. 



Potatoes were tested at the Minnesota 

 station as a feeding stuff for fatten- 

 ing lambs in comparison with sugar 

 beets and mangels. All the lambs were 

 fed like grain rations of corn, barley 

 and oil meal and hay. In addition, each 

 lot was given all the roots they would 

 eat. On the average this was about Z x /z 

 pounds a day. The sheep were fed 110 

 days, at the end of which time the lot 

 fed potatoes had gained 32.9 pounds, 

 the lot fed mangels 30.6 and the lot fed 

 sugar beets 34.6 pounds. These results 

 are slightly in favor of the potatoes and 

 sugar beets. 



The data are useful in indicating the 

 value of the small, unmerchantable po- 

 tatoes for sheep feeding. Ordinarily, 

 the cost of raising potatoes is too great 

 to permit of their use as a feeding stuff 

 in comparison with other roots which 

 yield much heavier, hence only the small, 

 unsalable potatoes can be used profitably 

 in the ration for sheep. 



The Maine station found that roots 

 do not have any peculiar feeding value, 

 other than that of adding variety and 

 succulence to the ration. 



Conclusions relative to roots — The 

 experiments noted above are not entirely 

 harmonious as regards their compar- 

 ative values. Roots do not show any ad- 

 vantage over silage, while the cost of 

 growing them is usually in excess of 

 silage. They should not be fed ordi- 

 narily in quantities greater than 4 to 6 

 pounds a day. And the best results will 

 be secured when they are fed in smaller 

 amounts than 2 to 3 pounds a day, 

 sliced, and in combination with hay or 

 grain. If roots are grown, mangels are 

 the cheapest kind to grow and are as 

 efficient practically as any other kind. 



GRAINS FOR SHEEP 



The grains commonly given to sheep 

 are corn and oats. Barley is frequently 

 fed and peas in the northern states and 

 Canada. Mill feeds are fed less com- 

 monly. It is not necessary or desirable 

 usually to grind grains for sheep, with 

 the exception of old ewes, which may 

 have lost their teeth, and for winter 

 lambs which are being forced. Many 

 experiments have been reported in re- 

 cent years relative to the use and value 

 of different grains and mill products 

 for feeding purposes, a brief review of 

 which will serve to bring out their use- 

 fulness and value as compared with 

 other grains. 



Barley — The Colorado station made 

 a test of the relative merits of bald and 

 common barley for fattening lambs. 

 Bald barley is slightly richer in protein 

 than common barley. Li the experi- 

 ments reported bald barley produced 

 slightly more gains in lambs than when 

 they were fed corn. The lambs, how- 

 ever, were unable to eat more than a 

 pound of barley a day without getting 

 off feed. Common barley on the other 

 hand did not prove quite as effective for 

 fattening purposes as corn, but was 

 fully equal to wheat. In these experi- 

 ments whole barley gave better results 

 than ground barley. 



At the Wyoming experiment station, 

 also, barley fed lambs made larger gains 

 than corn fed lambs. In experiments at 

 the Minnesota station in feeding range 

 lambs, barley, corn and oats were found 

 about equally valuable in producing 

 gains. When fed with timothy hay, the 



