214 Western Live-stock Management 



toward keeping the bowels in very good condition. A 

 grain mixture consisting of oats and bran is exceptionally 

 good for breeding stock, and on most farms is the cheap- 

 est feed available. 



SUCCULENCE 



Succulent feeds such as roots, kale, and cabbage are of 

 considerable value in winter feeding, since they furnish 

 for winter what pasture furnishes in summer. A little 

 succulence as a part of the daily ration has a very good 

 effect on the bowels and general condition of the animal, 

 and produces results which are difRcult to obtain otherwise. 



Roots. 



One of the commonest succulent feeds in the western 

 states is roots. Breeding ewes thrive especially well on 

 this form of succulence, and with all classes of sheep, roots 

 prevent constipation and keep the sheep in healthy condi- 

 tion. There is no superior feeding value in the dry 

 matter of the roots over that of grain, but they are espe- 

 cially valuable because of their tonic effect on the system. 

 Roots should be cut into small pieces before feeding, hence 

 a root-cutter is practically indispensable when many 

 roots are used. When roots are not cut, choking may 

 occur. Three to four pounds a day is sufficient for the 

 average sheep, and it is not customary to feed breeding 

 ewes much more than two pounds a day because lambs 

 from ewes fed excessively on roots may be large, soft, and 

 flabby. The commonest roots in the western states are 

 turnips, rutabagas, sugar-beets, and mangel-wurzels. 

 The first three are the best for sheep feeding. The last 

 two, namely, sugar-beets and mangel-wurzels, should not 

 be fed to rams under any citcumstances because of the 



