FEEDING SHEEP AND GOATS 



331 



hay, 1.1 pounds oats or emmer, and 1 pound corn, wheat, barley, or 

 screenings, to equal one feed unit; 2 pounds hay (alfalfa) in the 

 western trials were assumed to be equal to one feed unit. 



* Condensed from summary tables in Henry's "Feeds and Feeding." 

 t Eastern stations. t Western stations. 



We note that there was but little difference in the nutritive 

 effect of the corn and barley, the average daily gains made by the 

 lambs on these grains being 0.3 pound; the other grains produced 

 a gain of about one-fourth- pound per head daily. Considering the 

 feed requirements for the production of 10.0 pounds of gain, there 

 were only slight differences between corn, barley, and oats, while 

 whole wheat, screenings, and emmer gave the lowest returns per 

 100 pounds feed units. 



Self-feeders similar to those used in the case of self -fed steers 

 are employed by some sheep farmers in feeding fattening lambs, 

 a supply of grain feeds sufficient for about a week or less being 

 placed in the feeder. The lambs are able to take all the grain they 

 want as it comes out at the bottom of the hopper intp the feed 

 trough. As in the case of steer feeding, the experience of farmers 

 with self -fed sheep has been both favorable and unfavorable, although 

 the evidence seems, on the whole, more unfavorable than with self-, 

 fed steers. According to results obtained at the Michigan station, 12 

 " Fattening lambs by means of a self-feeder is an expensive practice, 

 and economy of production requires more attention to the variation 

 in the appetites of the animals than can be given by this method." 

 According to the late J. B. Wing, 13 not only is the death-rate 

 much heavier where self-feeders are used, but the cost of gain ia 

 also much greater. It is evident, therefore, that the use of self 

 feeders for sheep cannot be recommended, except under conditions 



"Bulletin 128. 



""Sheep Farming in America"; see also Mich. Bui. 113; Minn. Bui. 

 144, Colo. Bui. 151 and 187; Mo. Bui. 115. 



