The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-05-22
Fattening Lambs

In fattening lambs it is very import
ant not only to, secure the desired end,
but to do SO as soon as possible, for loss
of@time in this case is fully equivalent
to . loss of cash. 1t is not enough that
the lambs should gain slowly, or even
moderately-they often do this without
much special effort on the part of their
owners--but, they. ought to gain very
rapidly. This is especially, true Of
those which were dropped late in the
season and are smaller than the others.
If no pains are taken to hasten the
growth and development of these lambs
they will have to be kept very late in
the season, and must be sold, If at all,
for low price. I have known farm
er to sell the largest and best of his
lambs, which were ready early in sum-
mer, for ten cents pound, and the
smaller ones he was obliged to keep
after haying and then sell them for six
cents He not only had to keep and
feed the small lambgmuch longer than
the larger qnee. but also had it, SILL
them for but sl4tle t1ore than, one halt
as much as he received frem them. The
difference in age is not the only, and in
many flocks it Is n0tthe principal, cause
for the difference in the size of lambs.
Between lambs of the same age there is
frequently great inequality. This is
often due to the fact that one lamb has
d much larger quantity of milk than its
mate, and sometimes is caused by the
eating of hay by one lamb and neglect
of it by the other. It is also true that
some lambs are naturally more vigor-
Oua han others, snd, consequently,
gfot much faster. Whatever the cause
or causes of the inequality which exists
among the lambs an effort should be
made by the owner to bring the smaller
and poorer ones up TO high standard
of excellenee aid To- aecuFe for Ah4 bet
ter ones an seqtallghhpM growth .a9d
perfect dsvAlobn6ntS H. t. not .best
That the difference should be obliter-
ated, but that the poorer ones should
be'made so good that tbay will readily
sell, early IN +heseason, for the highest
market price, and the same treatment
which thus improves the poorer ones
will make the best ones extremely fine.
How shall the desired end be
reachedp The answer is, by good
care and proper feeding. By
these means the poor ones can ), be
made good. aadk good ones be made still
better, but this requires the use of a
liberal quantity and an excellent quality
of food. 1t will not do to merely keep
the lambs in dry place and furnish
the dams with all the fine hay they will
eat. This is excellent treatment as far
as it goes, but it. is wholly inadequate.
Either the ewes must be literally fed
with fine hay, meal and roots, in order
the lambs also be fed with nice Rouen
hay. or, what will be more effective, the
lambs must be fed with meal or oats.
The very best way combines these two
methods. The fine hay and the roots,
with = moderate quantity of meal, will
Benefit the ewes as we'll as their lambs.
Care should be taken not to feed too
large quantity ofemeal, as this would
tend to fatten the sheep rather than in
crease the quantity of milk, but the
safest and surest means are those which
deal directly with the lambs. When
quite small, lambs will begin to eat fine
han This should be fed to the sheep,
and the lambs. allowed to take what
they want, and in short time they
may be made to eat meal. The best
way to do this is to fix pen into which
the sheep cannot 60, but which the
lambs can enter or leave at any time.
In this pen small troughs should be
placed and, in them little meal should
be constantly kept, and in little while
TIE lambs will become fond of the meal
add will eat all they can get. Only a
little must be given at first, and the
quantity should be gradually increased
as the lambs grow larger and older.
In meal is good, but oil meal is a
great deal better. If neither of these
IS at hand, oate will be useful, though
they are not as fattening as meal.
In raising lambs for the butchers the
skitlhal farmer finds one of the best pay
ing departments Of his business, while
the negligent one obtains but small
income and . still smaller proportion
of profit. Experience has taught me
that the man who makes money on his
lambs makes it on those which are
ready fdr market early in the season,
and that it pays to feed we'll and get all
those which are to besold fattened, and
OF as soon - possible Cor. Dirigo
Rural. So: Il