General Care of Sheep and Lambs. 489 



last from 12 to 14 weeks, according to their condition in the begin- 

 ning and the rapidity with which they gain. The tables in the pre- 

 ceding chapter show that lambs increase in weight at least a quar- 

 ter of a pound per day when gaining normally. For a feeding 

 period of 100 days the gains should run from 25 to 30 lbs. per head. 

 This weight, mostly fat, added to the carcass of a lamb weighing orig- 

 inally 60 to 90 lbs., brings it to the size desired by the market. 

 Formerly the market called for a large lamb, but now the demand is 

 for plump ones weighing from 80 to 90 lbs., or even less if they are 

 from the western ranges. As soon as lambs are ripe, or when the 

 backs and the region about the tail seem well covered with fat, they 

 should be sold, for further gains cannot be made at a profit. Ripe 

 Iambs fed a heavy grain ration at the North Dakota Station^ gained 

 only 0.8 lb. each in 4 weeks, returning a heavy loss instead of profit. 



796. Feed consumed. — As shown in Chapter XXIX, fattening 

 lambs weighing from 60 to 80 lbs. each will consume from 0.7 to 2.0 

 lbs. of grain and 0.9 to 2.0 lbs. of hay, the entire ration containing 

 from 1.5 to 3.5 lbs. of dry matter. The addition of silage, roots, or 

 beet pulp will somewhat increase the weight of dry matter con- 

 sumed, on account of the increased palatability of the ration. 



797. Rate of increase. — The experiments reported in the preced- 

 ing chapter show that well-fed lambs gain from 2 to 3.25 per ct. 

 each week upon their initial weight. From 8 to 10 lbs. of dry mat- 

 ter is required to produce each pound of increase in live weight. 

 The quantity of feed required to produce 100 lbs. of gain with vari- 

 ous rations is shown in the numerous trials reported in the previous 

 chapter. 



798. Cost of gain. — The data given in the last chapter will en- 

 able the feeder to calculate the feed cost of producing 100 lbs. of 

 gain with lambs fattened on nearly any available feed combination. 

 For example, if it requires 500 lbs. of corn and 400 lbs. of clover 

 hay for 100 lbs. of gain, and corn is worth 56 cents a bushel, or $1 

 per 100 lbs., and hay $10 a ton, or 50 cents per 100 lbs., then the 

 feed cost of 100 lbs. of gain will be: 



500 lbs. of corn at $1 per 100 _ $5.00 



400 lbs. of hay at 50 cents per 100 2.00 



Cost of 100 lbs. gain $7.00 



The above is a fair estimate of the cost of feed required to pro- 

 duce 100 lbs. of gain with eastern lambs fed in small lots on corn 

 1 Bui. 28. ~~~ 



