Field Feeding 49 



sheep business to steer clear of the scenery method and not to try- 

 handling sheep unless there is a liking for them." 



Comparison of Results 



During the fall months, or western season, some of the big ranch- 

 men market several thousand lambs. They send down a train load at 

 a time to be unloaded at feeding and grazing stations a few miles 

 from the market. These sheep or lambs are then ordered in from day 

 to day by the commission man, a few cars at a time as the market 

 demands. There is offered then from day to day the same ranchman's 

 breeding. I have seen these lambs taken out by the various country- 

 men and have observed the different results obtained by these men 

 with idntically the same class of stock. The weights most approved 

 for feeding lambs run 55 pounds to 62 pounds. Going out, these lambs 

 were a thrifty, hardy, choice quality, uniform band. Some returned 

 them fat, with a big gain, quality improved, with the finish obtained, 

 while others returned them pretty good or half -fat with a good growthy 

 gain, but not fat enough to be good killers, and too heavy for desir- 

 able feeders. Still others returned them weighing less than when 

 going out as feeders, these lambs plainly showing abuse, lack of feed, 

 and likely no salt, water or care. In a great many instances these men 

 would charge that their lambs as feeders were not healthy, therefore 

 the results. Some were ignorant of the requirements of the market 

 and supposed that a half-fat or pretty good sheep or lamb was satis- 

 factory to a certain extent to the killers. 



Finishing Sheep vs. Cattle 



It might be well to state here that there is a practice among cattle 

 feeders of short feeding or half fattening cattle, and that there is a 

 good demand for the various kinds of beef, but that long ago it was 

 learned that a half -fat or pretty good sheep or lamb was not a success. 

 Only a month's feeding often raises the quality of a lamb or sheep two 

 or three dollars a hundred weight. Ninety to one hundred and twenty 

 days is generally the required time to fatten and finish a sheep or lamb, 

 whereas it takes eight to ten months to fatten or finish a steer. 



When to Market 



Very often in the fall farmers are able to get such cheap gains 

 that they can ship their sheep or lambs back to market and sell them 

 at the price paid for them as feeders and still make money. However, 

 the purchaser should never figure on a small margin, and generally he 

 should allow himself a margin of two to three dollars per hundred- 

 weight between the price he pays for his feeders and the expected fat 

 price. During the big receipts in the fall, however, fat stuff generally 

 is, and should be, at the low point of the year, therefore fat and feeder 

 prices may be close together at that time. Neither the central states pro- 

 ducer or feeder should plan his feedings so that he vdll have to market 

 his fat stuff during the time the big fall rush is on. His marketings 

 should either be made before or after. 



