PROPORTION OF GRAIN AND ROUGHAGE 373 



feeder can be successfully emploj'ed depends upon the nature of 

 the feed to be used. Chaffed or finely cut roughage mixed with 

 the concentrates serves to lighten the ration and when this is done 

 good results are generally secured. Feeders who use mill screen- 

 ings begin the feeding period with light screenings; that is, those 

 containing a proportionately large amount of straw and chafE; 

 then as the period advances, they gradually work up to the heaviest 

 type of screenings they can secure, and frequently they mix in 

 some ground corn. Usually roughage of some sort is available in 

 separate racks. 



Where large numbers are fed, the self-feeder undoubtedly saves 

 labor, and shortens the feeding period, but the losses are usually 

 greater, and experiments show that more feed is required to pro- 

 duce a hundred pounds of gain where the self-feeder is used than 

 where the feed is given in definite quantities twice a day. After 

 60 or 70 days on the self-feeder, sheep and lambs tend to go 

 "off feed." 



In order to feed corn and alfalfa in self-feeders it would be 

 necessary to grind the corn, chaff the hay, and mix them. The 

 cost of doing all this would be almost or quite as great as the cost 

 of feeding twice daily and the amount of gain from the feed 

 consumed would be less. Therefore, the use of the self-feeder is 

 not advisable where the cost of preparing the feed is an item of 

 considerable expense. 



Proportion of Grain and Roughage. — Sheep are regarded as 

 animals unusually well adapted to the consumption of roughage 

 and even in the process of fattening they can make economical 

 use of relatively large quantities of it. But the attempts that have 

 been made to fatten entirely on dry roughage have not resulted in 

 producing enough finish to satisfy the demands of the market. 

 On the other hand, when an attempt is made to feed entirely 

 on concentrates, the animals go " off feed," and if roughage is 

 not supplied serious digestive disord'ers develop. The digestive 

 tract of the sheep is adapted to bulky feed, therefore roughage 

 cannot be dispensed with. It is possible, however, successfully to 

 vary the proportion of concentrates and roughage in the ration 

 of fattening sheep and lambs. This is a matter of importance, 

 for in some seasons the supply of grain is relatively large while in 

 others the opposite situation exists. Then, there are regions where 

 the supply of the best of roughage always overbalances the supply 



