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 difficult 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 
oceur. 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 circumstances because of the 
