226 MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF SHEEP 



thus, the aim is to keep down the outlay for labor to a 

 minimum, as such labor is relatively costly in the far 

 West. Such a system of feeding is more or less wasteful 

 of hay, and the manure resulting is not always used to the 

 best advantage because of the expense of applying it. 



Fattening sheep on screenings — The feeding of 

 screenings has already been touched upon (see page 218). 

 Screenings may be obtained from any kind of grain that 

 calls for winnowing. In the merchantable sense they are 

 obtained by the screening of grain at elevators, in which 

 it is sent directly from the threshing machine. In addi- 

 tion to small and shrunken grain and broken kernels, the 

 screenings contain the seeds of all kinds of weeds that 

 have grown in the crops. Sheep are very fond of these, 

 partly for the reason that they are fond of variety, and 

 the nutritive properties are such that sheep usually fatten 

 satisfactorily on such food. Screenings furnish one of the 

 most healthful of fattening foods, but in some instances 

 wild mustard seeds are present to the extent of being 

 prejudicial to the health of the sheep, because of their 

 over-stimulating character. Screenings largely composed 

 of shrunken grains of wheat are about as valuable for 

 feeding sheep as good wheat. On the other hand screen- 

 ings may contain so much broken straw and so little nutri- 

 ment as to be of little value in feeding sheep, unless corn 

 or some other rich grain food is mixed in with them or is 

 fed as supplemental to them. 



Screenings are usually fed only at the stock yards, 

 where sheep and lambs are fed in sheds in a wholesale 

 way, or at certain other feeding centers, where they are 

 similarly fed. They are so fed because they are sent 

 away from the farm when the grain is sold. In order to 

 feed them on farms, the farmer would have to buy what 

 he or some of his neighbors previously gave away, and in 

 addition would have to pay the cost of transit. Hay is 

 fed in addition to the screenings, but the main dependence 

 is on screenings. 



