266 SHEEP FARMING IN' AMERICA. 



the farm-grown lambs. Lamb feeding as a 

 speculation may result disastrously, indeed is 

 certain to do so at times when feeders are 

 bought dear, feeds are high in price and lambs 

 sell cheaply in spring, but the farmer who fits 

 himself for 'the business and feeds with care 

 and steadiness year by year will find his profits 

 encouraging and his farm increasing steadily in 

 productiveness. The work is such that farm 

 labor finds employment the year 'round, thus 

 good men are attracted to lamb-feeding farms. 



FEEDING OF OLDER SHEEP. 



After the lamb comes the yearling in point 

 of merit as a feeder. Very often the yearling 

 was a light lamb, too light the owner thought 

 to put upon the market in the fall. In the feed 

 lot yearlings thrive. They do not always have 

 perfect front teeth and are therefore less able 

 to eat ear com. If bought light enough their 

 gain is very good. They may be fed best in 

 just the way described for feeding lambs and 

 their treatment need vary in no particular save 

 one. Should there be any ewes among these 

 yearlings the feeder must be very careful that 

 they do not get access in any way to the ram, 

 or that there be no rams among the lot when 

 bought. 



Sheep in the feed lot wDl not drop living 

 lambs very often. If they are sent to market 

 before lambing, supposing they show strong 

 signs of pregnancy, they are subject to dockage 

 and may possibly be thrown out by the in- 

 spectors. 



