258 Sheep-Farming 



is this true if over fifty sheep are being fed together. 

 Starting the sheep safely and well on a ration brings 

 the feeder's skill into play, particularly if the sheep 

 have been unaccustomed to grain. There are some 

 foods that are safer than others to feed at the begin- 

 ning, and among these oats or bran have a general 

 preference. Wheat is comparatively safe, while 

 corn is probably the most dangerous to feed alone. 

 One pound per head daily of either bran or oats 

 is liberal feeding for sheep that are accustomed to 

 grain, and a slightly smaller quantity will be suflS- 

 cient for those that have not been accustomed to 

 it. The quantity of grain may be gradually in- 

 creased as the capacity of the sheep to consume it 

 becomes greater. The careful and successful feeder 

 trains his sheep to eat with as much carefulness as 

 the trainer teaches a colt to trot. It is safe to 

 assume that wethers at this age may be fed all the 

 grain that they will eat, as it is usual for them to 

 ^profitably utilize it in making gain, unless they are 

 unhealthy or the management is defective. It is 

 a hard matter to estimate the amount of grain to 

 feed, owing to the variation in the consuming ca- 

 pacity of sheep. In starting, from .5 pound to 1 pound 

 may be fed. A month later the wether will prob- 

 ably be taking 1.5 to 2 pounds, and during the last 

 month from 2 to 3 pounds per head has been the 

 capacity of most of the sheep. 



Cost and value of the increase. — In comparing 



