46 



TEACH LAMBS TO EAT GRAIN 



Be Careful in Feeding 



However secured, they should be handled carefully when 

 first brought to the farm. A timothy or blue-grass pasture is 

 better than clover at first until the lambs are well filled and re- 

 covered from the shrinkage incident to shipping; or if put in the 

 barn their feed should be limited until they have satisfied their 

 hunger. Free access to salt should not be permitted. Given 

 twice a week at regular intervals and scattered in the grain troughs 

 is better. 



Oats for Lambs 



In accustoming lambs to grain we have found that putting 

 oats in the troughs and sprinkling a small amount of salt over 

 them will teach the lambs to eat grain most quickly, without a 

 few getting too much. For this purpose oats are best as there 

 is practically no danger of overeating. In a week's time corn 

 can be added and the oats reduced and by the end of thirty days 

 corn alone can be used. Many successful feeders, however, 

 prefer during the entire feeding period, a mixture of oats, corn, 

 and a httle wheat bran, or dried beet pulp; linseed cake is also 

 a profitable feed, but corn is the main grain. In beginning 

 grain feeding it requires a quarter-pound per head per day, 

 gradually increased to one pound per day and the last two or 

 three weeks of feeding, all the grain the lambs will clean up at 

 a feed even to 13^ to 1^4 pounds per head. It is very import- 



Lamb Feeding on an Illinois Farm. Note the Silos 



