376 THE FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



If a comparison is made of this experiment with the 

 steer-feeding experiments previously cited it becomes 

 clearly evident that the published feeding standards 

 are not consistent in calling for practically the same 

 quantity of nutrients for the same live weight of the two 

 species. Sheep will consume at least one-quarter more 

 food than steers and lay on flesh proportionately faster. 

 Moreover, sheep appear to make a larger gain in Kve 

 weight than steers for each unit of nutrients consiuned. 

 It may be that the testimony of the experiments cited 

 relative to the points under discussion is pot a correct 

 expression of average conditions, but the differences shown 

 are too marked to be accounted for by any unusual con- 

 ditions pertaining to these feeding trials, and therefore 

 indicate what may generally be expected in practice. 



471. The selection of a ration for sheep. — The range 

 of feeding-stuffs from which a sheep ration may be 

 selected is wide and includes practically all home-raised 

 fodders and grains and the whole list of by-products. It 

 cannot be said, though, that all materials are equally 

 desirable as sheep food. Of the fodders, those from the 

 legumes are especially to be sought, even pea and bean 

 straws, and among the grains corn stands preeminent 

 as the basis of a fattening-ration. Probably no feeding- 

 stuffs are more favored for mixing with corn than oats, 

 bran, and linseed meal, probably because none are more 

 successfully used. Barley, peas, beans, gluten feed, 

 gluten meal, and cottonseed meal have also been success- 

 fully fed to, sheep. A mixed grain ration is unquestion- 

 ably to be preferred to any single grain or by-product, 

 because with the mixtiu-e greater palatableness is insured, 

 it is possible to maintain the consumption of a larger 

 ration, and the danger to health of heavy feeding is less. 



