248 Sheep-Farming 



vances, the proportion of oats should be decreased. 

 Much, however, depends upon the form of roughage 

 in use and comparative prices of these grains. 



Peas. — Peas are excellent feed for sheep. With 

 breeders they are especially prized for producing 

 firm flesh. They are more suitable for feeding with 

 carbonaceous roughages than is corn and, when their 

 price allows, will be found a very satisfactory feed. 



Bran. — When bran was cheaper than it has been 

 in most years since 1900, it was quite largely used in 

 sheep feeding. Like oats, it is very useful in avoiding 

 disorders when commencing grain feeding, and its 

 cooling and laxative tendencies make it very useful, 

 especially when the alfalfa or succulent feeds are not 

 available. 



The farm feeds mentioned were tested at the 

 Wisconsin Station with lambs before weaning in four 

 experiments. The average of the result of the trials 

 showed that a slightly smaller weight of bran was 

 required for each pound of gain than of ground 

 corn. A somewhat greater weight of oats was re- 

 quired than of corn, and cracked peas were less 

 effective than oats. 



In similar tests of these feeds with weaned lambs, 

 corn and peas were equally useful, while oats and bran 

 each required a half greater weight for a pound of 

 gain than was needed of corn or peas. In a test of 

 mixtures of these grains, there was required for a 

 pound of gain 5.3 pounds in case of corn, 6.3 pounds 



