226 ELEMENTARY TREATISE ON STOCK EEEDS AND FEEDING 



is scant sheep crop the grass very close to the ground and some- 

 times injure pastures in this way, but when good pasturage is 

 allowed them no injury is done. Sheep will eat weeds that 

 other classes of live-stock refuse. By turning a flock of sheep on a 

 pasture containing noxious weeds, the pasture is improved by the 

 destruction of such weeds and the land is made richer and better, 

 and the pasture becomes covered with a smooth growth of grass. 



Fasturing. — In the spring when the grass begins to come up 

 the ewes and lambs should be put on pasture for a few hours a 

 day, gradually lengthening the period until they become accus- 

 tomed to the change from dry to green feed. Alfalfa, clover, 

 rape, and rape and corn, make fine pastures for sheep. 



Alfalfa Pasture. — By pasturing on alfalfa in the fall after two 

 or three cuttings have been harvested good gains may be made 

 for preparing lambs for the early winter market. Good gains 

 are made on alfalfa alone but the addition of shelled corn in- 

 creases the rapidity of gain. Alfalfa is nitrogenous in character 

 and corn makes an excellent grain to feed with it. In feeding 

 corn a little should be supplied at first, J4 of a pound, and 

 gradually increased until i pound a day is supplied. When oats 

 and bran are cheap they may be fed in place of some of the corn. 



Clover Pasture. — ^After the hay has been harvested and the 

 second growth has a good stand the crop may be pastured by 

 lambs. As with alfalfa grain should be supplied lambs that are 

 to be sold in the late fall or early winter. 



Rape Pasture. — This plant is becoming popular for pasturing 

 sheep. It may be pastured the whole summer or for preparing 

 lambs for fall shipment. Sometimes it is cut green and fed in 

 racks. The Wisconsin Experiment Station considers rape as 

 worth $14.48 to $20 per acre depending on the season. As 

 with alfalfa and clover, grain is desirable for preparing lambs 

 for the fall market. On account of the fondness sheep have 

 for alfalfa and rape they sometimes eat too much when first 

 turned to pasture and become bloated. If fed some hay and 

 turned to pasture partly filled, bloating should not take place. 



Rape and Corn. — In the West rape is sometimes drilled between 

 the rows, of corn, when the corn is laid by. When the corn is 



