Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1870-11-17
How much Hay will Sheep eat In Win
ter?

j, Harry Taylor asks show much
clever hay will a sheep eat per
day9 The general answer is from
d to three per cent of live
weight. A flock of full-grown
Merino sheep averaging so lbs,
could probably be wintered on 2
lbs. of hay per head per day.
This would keep themin a ahealthy
condition, butit is not likely that
they would increase in weight.
The food would all be used to
sustain the vital functions, and
for the growth of wool and Sc
cretion of yolk. Full grown
English sheep,averaging, say $50
lbs, would probably eat 4 lbs.
of hay per day and would increase
in weight l lb. per week. In
the case Of ewes in lamb, the in
crease would be in the growth of
the fetus and in fat and other
material stored up for the use of
the Lamb after birth. The quanti-
ty and quality of the milk are in
fiuenced very much by the quanti-
ty and quality of the food sup
piled during the period of gesta-
ton. The long-wooled, or South
Down, ewes should have all the
clover hay they will eat during
the winter; or if a portion of
straw is fed instead of hay, the
difference in the amount of nutri-
ment should be made up by allow
ing a little grain; say II ID. Of
hay, II lb. of straw and 1 lb. oats,
peas, corn, or oil-cake. This
would keep such sheep in splen-
did condition, and insure strong,
healthy lambs and and an abun-
dance of milk. Last spring we
had a Cotswold lamb that weigh
ed 12k lbs. the day it was born
and in two weeks from that day
it weighed 25 lbs. At six months
old it weighed 12O lbs; of course
breeding had something to do
with it; but this rapid growth of
a young lamb is caused by a lib
eral supply of rich milk; and
this is obtained not only by feed
ing the eve literally while she is
sucking the lamb, but also feed
ing her literally during the per
iod of CESSATION, thereby enab-
ling her to store up food for the
use fher lamb or lambs. Young
growing Merino sheep,will proba-
bly, eat 8 lbs. of clover hay per.
day for every 100 lbs. of live
weight; that is to say, lot of
Merino lambs eight or nine
months old-and averaging so lbs,
would eat II lb. of clover hay
per day and gain from nothing to
half a pound each, per week. On
the other hand, a lot of well-bred
long wooled sheep eight or nine
months old, averaging 100 lbs,
would eat 8 lbs. Of clover hay
per day and 1 lb. of grain, and
gain from two to three lbs, per
week. If such sheep were to be
kept for breeding purposes it
would in all cases be desirable to
feed SO high and straw and bran
might replace a portion of the
hay and grain say 2lbs. hay, 1
lb. straw, and l lb. bran per day,
or II lb. hay, II lb. straw, ] lb.
bran, and ] lb. grain per head per
day. Such sheep should gain
from one to two lbs. per week.
Three lbs. of clover hay per day
alone would keep them through
the winter, but they would weigh
little or no more in the spring
than in the fall, and this is wretch
ed management with mutton
sheep. If young sheep are to be |
kept through the winter without
anything, better keep the Merino
sheep. They will stand such
treatment better than we'll bred
Cotswolds, Leicesters or South |
Downs.
Mr.. Taylor also asks: "Will it
10 to feed clover hay alone to |
ewes up to within a week or two
Of lambing and then feed bran