IfEED AND CARE OF YOUNG FARM ANIMAI^S 251 



of the sheep, when the mother refuses to own her lamb, and in 

 a few days the mother will claim it. 



In case the mother dies, the lamb may be reared on cows' milk 

 by feeding with a bottle. At first the lamb must be fed about 

 15 times a day and when two weeks old, feeding may be cut 

 down to three times a day. 



Feed for Ewes' Suckling Lambs. — The lamb is most always fed 

 .through its mother; therefore a milk producing ration is nec- 

 essary. In the summer the ewes' suckling lambs will get along 

 nicely on good pasturage, without grain. In the winter, roots 

 or silage, clover or alfalfa hay, and some grains as oats, corn, 

 shorts, bran, peas, oil meal and gluten feed are adapted for 

 producing a good milk supply. In the absence of nitrogenous 

 hay, well cured grass hay, straw or corn stover may be utilized. 

 Timothy hay is not desirable for sheep. Many good rations 

 may be fed depending upon the feeds available and their market 

 prices. The ration should always be such as to produce a liberal 

 flow of milk. A mixture of % to i pound of the following 

 feeds are satisfactory for the grain portion of a day's ration: 



Oil meal i part Corn 2 parts 



Corn meal 2 parts Oats 2 parts 



Bran 2 parts Shorts i part 



Grass hay 2 pounds Clover or alfalfa hay . 2 pounds 



Roots or silage 2 pounds Roots or silage 2 pounds 



Corn 2 parts Bran 3 parts 



Bran 2 parts Oil meal i part 



Gluten feed i part Sliced roots or silage. 2 pounds 



Grass hay • 2 pounds Nitrogenous hay .... 2 pounds 



Roots or silage 2_pounds 



If the ewe gives too much milk the feed should be changed. 

 If on pasture the ewe may be taken off for a certain length of 

 time each day and supplied a little dry feed. If in the barn the 

 succulent feeds may be reduced. 



Grain for Lambs. — Lambs should be supplied with a little grain 

 to produce the best growth. Experiments show that lambs 

 fed grain in addition to mothers' milk, gain faster than those 

 that do not receive grain. Sometimes it may not prove profitable 

 to feed grain to lambs on pasture unless they are to be sold in 



