252 SHEEP FARMING IN AMERICA. 



wide doors at one time so that they will not 

 crowd. Little by little they will learn the taste 

 of the grain. Do not increase the amoimt fed 

 until you feel certain that most of them are 

 seeking it. Then let your increase be very 

 gradual. 



Corn, in the corn-belt, must be thef main part 

 of the fattening ration. Now to introduce that. 

 Take ear com, if it is at hand, and chop the 

 ears up with a hatchet into nubbins about an 

 inch long. Strew a few of these nubbins in 

 each rack. Next feeding time strew in a few 

 more. Increase very, very slowly as they learn 

 to eat the com, till you are giving them several 

 ears to a rack. Cut the bits longer and longer, 

 till at last you are merely making two pieces 

 of an ear. Finally stop breaking ears at all, 

 and feed them whole. 



Be about forty-five days in introducing them 

 to what is practically a "full feed" of com. 

 And then do not give them all they want, but 

 give them nearly all. If when on "full feed" 

 they are eating as much as they desire within 

 three or four grains you have done well. Be 

 sure they clean it all up at every feed and 

 come eagerly for more at the next feeding time. 



Now when they have gotten well to eating 

 com you may as well drop the bran and oats, 

 merely because of the expense of feeding them, 

 since oats are usually dear. If they are cheap 

 enough continue to feed them, and so of barley, 

 in connection with com, they form an admir- 

 able ration. If a portion of the hay must be 

 prairie hay, oat hay or timothy, in fact any 



