FEEDING AND CARE OF RAMS 1 53 



will be needed. But if the lambs have been fed grain 

 while on the autumn pasture, it will usually pay to give 

 them some grain daily through the winter, but not usu- 

 ally more than i pound per animal daily. The standard 

 grain food for such animals is oats, or barley, wheat, 

 bran, and a small proportion, say 5 per cent, of oilcake, 

 added. When the rams are to be sold for range uses, 

 pampering should be guarded against, or the rams will 

 not have the desired vigor for roughing it on the range. 

 Ranchmen should not invest in males without carefully 

 investigating as to the way in which they have been fed 

 and cared for. 



The number of the ram lambs that may be profitably 

 kept in one flock will be influenced by the breed. It would 

 probably be correct to say that of the fine wooled breeds 

 as many as 100 animals may be kept in one flock, while 

 a flock of medium or coarse wooled rams should not ex- 

 ceed 50 animals. The roominess of the quarters and their 

 suitability generally exercise a wide influence on the num- 

 ber that may be kept in one flock. If any of the rams 

 thus brought together, whether going into winter quar- 

 ters or at other times, are strange to each other, fighting 

 is sure to follow, and it may result fatally. This may 

 be prevented by putting the animals thus brought to- 

 gether in narrow quarters. For want of room they can- 

 not harm each other seriously, and yet they are able to 

 settle the question as to relative strength. This is also 

 greatly important when valuable stock rams previously 

 kept apart are brought together to pass the winter in the 

 same quarters. 



Stock rams in winter — Stock rams — that is, rams used 

 in service in the flock — should have an apartment for 

 themselves, and when this keeps them quite away from 

 close proximity to the ewes, it is just so much better 

 suited to their needs, since in it they will be quiet and 

 restful. In sheep sheds with an aisle running down 

 through the center of the building, with pens or divisions 



