WESTERN LAMB FEEDING. 249 



the mysteries of bam life. We will put about 

 500 in a pen, or what the bam holds. The 

 writer feeds 700 in one bam, which seems not 

 to be too many for all to thrive. There must 

 be racks enough so that the lambs may find 

 places to eat at the same time. 



We fill the racks moderately full of alfalfa 

 hay and watch the lambs eat it. At first they 

 are timid about going into the bam, but soon 

 they find their way about and learn where the 

 food is. And then how they, do eat! We will 

 feed them twice a day, at the same time each 

 day, and let them rest. The water we must 

 watch, that it is kept pure enough for man to 

 drink and always in supply. Salt we will give 

 at first by dissolving it in water and sprinkling 

 it over the hay; it may be put on the coarse 

 stems that they leave. After doing this for a 

 few days we will find their appetite for salt 

 satisfied ; then we will fill a box with salt in one 

 comer of the bam and let them have access to 

 it at their own will. But if we could take time 

 and trouble to put brine on their hay all 

 through the feeding season that would be the 

 better way, making them eat the coarser parts 

 with relish and avoiding all danger from get- 

 ting too much salt. There is, however, little 

 danger of that if the lambs are first carefully 

 introduced to it until their appetite is ap- 

 peased, then given access to it at all times. On 

 Woodland Farm it is the custom to roll salt 

 barrels into the bam and saw out two or three 

 staves, letting the sheep consume it as their 

 appetite indicates they should. But v^eji tj^e 



