360 GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS IN FEEDING 



as to the continuance of the rise, for so high a level may be reached 

 that people will refuse to buy. 



Feeding a Fattening Process. — Before starting to feed sheep 

 or lambs one should fully realize that the object of the feeding 

 operation is to convert animals in thin flesh into a finished product 

 for slaughter. It would seem that no one would entertain any other 

 idea, but each year thousands of western sheep and lambs are turned 

 back to the large markets from corn-belt faxms in unfinished con- 

 dition. In fact, many of these sheep and lambs must be resold as 

 feeders. Although many reasons can be given for this lack of finish, 

 experience has shown that many feeders are not impressed as they 

 should be by the importance of finish. They do not seem alive to 

 the fact that in order to sell well, their offerings must be well 

 fattened (Fig. 217). 



Equipment for Feeding. — Supply of feed. Any one who is 

 contemplating the feeding of either sheep or lambs should make a 

 careful study of how well he is equipped to engage in the work. First 

 of all he should ascertain whether he has an adequate supply of the 

 proper kind of feed, both grain and roughage, to make his animals 

 fat. In ease his supply of feed is not adequate he should know 

 definitely whether he can purchase it at a price that will justify his 

 using it in the feeding process. Lack of feed is one of the reasons 

 often given for so many sheep and lambs returning to the market in 

 unfinished condition. In the corn belt, particularly, too many per- 

 sons attempt to feed when they know they do not have enough 

 of the proper kind of roughage. Their supply is exhausted before 

 their sheep or lambs are finished and since concentrates alone can 

 not be used, the feeding operation is carried on at a loss. Attempts 

 to fatten on grass and roughages alone are rarely profitable because 

 in fall and winter the feeding of some concentrate feed is required 

 to make sheep or lambs fat. Therefore, it pays to look over the 

 supply of feed carefully, and make sure that one does not purchase 

 more sheep or lambs than he can finish to good advantage. 



Bedding. — There is a variance of opinion as to the amount of 

 bedding required by fattening sheep. Many provide nothing but 

 the roughage waste. If there is a large quantity of this waste, it is 

 quite sufficient, but if there is not, extra bedding should be pro- 

 vided. To the Michigan feeder, however, who mows away all of his 

 straw for sheep feed it may seem like extravagant waste to use it for 

 bedding. But in regions where so much straw is wasted, it is good 



