FEEDING AND CARE OF BREEDING EWES 1 33 



fed at the same time. It is scarcely practicable to feed 

 silage to a small flock of sheep, unless it is being fed also 

 to other stock at the same time, as it cannot be kept in 

 good condition, because of the small amount fed. 



When the roughage is of excellent quality, as when 

 good clover is fed and when field roots are fed at the 

 same time, it may not be necessary to feed much grain, 

 or indeed any, until the lambing season is near at hand ; 

 but as ewes are ordinarily fed, they will profit from a 

 small grain ration, say, not more than one-half to one 

 pound per day, from the time that they are brought to the 

 sheds, or even before that time should any loss of condi- 

 tion be apparent. Almost any kind of grain will answer, 

 although when the roughage is non-leguminous corn 

 should not be fed. Oats will answer the best of all cereals, 

 should these be fed without admixture. Some wheat bran 

 or oilcake, say 20 per cent of bran or 10 per cent of oil- 

 cake, will aid much in warding off constipation, that great 

 menace to the well being of sheep in winter when on a 

 dry diet. It would probably be correct to say that more 

 of the troubles that afflict sheep in winter may be traced to 

 this source than to any other single cause. 



Exercise for pregnant ewes — With all animals it 

 would seem to be a law governing reproduction that, if 

 the progeny are to be vigorous and strong, dams which 

 bear them must have ample exercise while pregnant. 

 Ample exercise, however, is a question of degree in exer- 

 cise as applied to the various breeds. Modification of in- 

 herent characters may so change the necessities of a breed 

 that a much less degree of exercise will suffice than would 

 have been enough at one time in the history of the breed. 

 But some exercise for the dams is absolutely necessary 

 for the well-being of the lambs which they bear. 



Sheep call for more exercise relatively than other 

 farm animals, unless it be horses. When feeding in the 

 pastures, they are continually on the move. It would be 

 interesting to know how far they thus travel in a day. 



