On Shed- Feeding, 



169 



breed. I will therefore add, that the situation of the farm on 

 which my cattle are bred is in the northern part of Nottingham- 

 shire, that the soil on which they are always kept is either a light 

 sandy soil or peaty meadows, and that they are of the Durham or 

 improved short-horned breed. 



XVII. — Chi Shed-Feeding. — Bv John Walbaxke Childers, 

 Esq., M.P. Read July 16th, 1839. 



Having tried an experiment on the winter fattening of sheep 

 this year, I think the insertion of it in our Journal may be de- 

 sirable. It has for some time been my opinion that sheep would 

 fatten more quickly in a yard than in the usual manner on turnips 

 in the held. In consequence of this view of the case, I last win- 

 ter enclosed a small yard with posts and rails, and erected a low 

 thatched shed, just large enough to allow a score of sheep to lie 

 down at once. The floor of this shecl was boarded with common 

 rough slabs, and was raised eighteen inches above the surface of 

 the ground, the boards being placed three-eighths of an inch 

 apart, in order to allow the free passage of water and keep the 

 boards dry, as my great fear was that the sheep might get the 

 foot-rot. 



I then proceeded, on the 1st January, to draw forty wether hogs 

 out of my flock of Leicesters, and divided them into two lots, as 

 equal in quality as I could get them. On weighing each sheep 

 separatelv, I found the weight of one score to be 183 st. 31b., and 

 that of the other 184 st. 41b. I put the first lot into the yard, 

 and placed the other lot on turnips. The field was a dry sandy 

 soil, well sheltered, and peculiarly favourable and healthy for 

 sheep. Each lot had exactly the same quantity of food given them, 

 which was as follows : — 



1st. As many cut turnips as they could eat, which was about 

 27 St. per diem for each lot. 



2nd. 10 lbs. of linseed cakes, at the rate of half a pound per 

 sheep per day. 



3rd. Half a pint of barley per sheep per day. 



4th. A little hay, and a constant supply of salt. 



For the first three weeks both lots consumed equal portions of 

 food, but in the fourth week there was a falling off" in the con- 

 sumption of the hogs in the shed of 3 st. of turnips per day, and 

 in the ninth week there was a falling off" of 2 st. more ; of linseed 

 cake there was also a falling off of 3 lbs. per day. The hogs in 

 the field consumed the same quantity of food from first to last. 



The result of the experiment is as follows : — 



