FATTENING SHEEP AND LAMBS IN WINTER 23 1 



in a way that' may be attended with but little loss of its 

 useful properties. 



When sheep are fattened on the farm in winter, the 

 feed fed to them should result in more profit to the farmer 

 than if the same were disposed of by selling it directly. 

 In this way the door is opened for increasing the revenue 

 of the farm through work done at a season when work 

 is usually not pressing. The advantage from increasing 

 revenue at such a time will be so apparent that it need 

 not be dwelt upon. 



Duration of the fattening period — The duration of 

 the fattening period will depend measurably on the fol- 

 lowing considerations, along with some others that may 

 be named: (i) The relative amount of protein and car- 

 bohydrates respectively in the ration; (2) the degree of 

 the concentration in the ration ; (3) the way in which the 

 food is fed ; (4) the nature of the market ; and (5) the con- 

 dition of the animals when put on feed. The more protein 

 and the less carbohydrates in the ration, the longer the 

 period that is called for in which to finish the sheep, and 

 vice versa. Foods that are highly concentrated, like corn, 

 cannot be fed safely for so long a period as foods less 

 concentrated and more bulky, like oats and field roots. 

 Sheep or lambs cannot be fed for so long a period when 

 the food is fed in self-feeders as when fed only up to the 

 capacity of the animals to consume it from time to time 

 with a relish. Some markets call for sheep with a some- 

 what less degree of finish than others ; hence it is not 

 necessary to feed them for so long a period for the former. 

 That sheep low in flesh when put on feed will take a 

 longer time to fatten than those high in flesh is only self- 

 evident. This factor alone may make a difference of sev- 

 eral weeks in the time called for in reaching a high degree 

 of finish. In but few instances are sheep or lambs fin- 

 ished in less than 60 days, and they can only be finished 

 thus quickly when they are in good condition as to flesh 

 when the feeding begins. On the other hand the feeding 



