Rocky Ford enterprise., 1896-11-26
Sheep Feeding in Colorado.


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Sheep Feeding In Colorado.
As quite a number Of Rocky Ford
farmers are having their attention
turned 70 sheep feeding, the following
will be Of interest:
The Chicago market is lowest in No,
and gradually rises until it
reaches the highest point in May.
The best time for Colorado feeders to
sell lambs is from April 10 to June l, and
the best single week about the middle Of
May.
Fattening lambs are usually fed moth
ing but hay for two months; then small
amount OF grain, gradually increasing TO
full feed Of one pound per head by the
middle OF March. A lamb fats about
400 pounds Of hay and 100 pounds Of
It costs dollar head to ship sheep
from Colorado to Chicago and seventy
Ave cents for lambs. The shrinkage in
live weight during shipping is about
seven per cent
lamb laid down in Chicago is about a.;
the items being, 91.85 for first cost Of
feeding, interest and death Losses, and
u .75 for cost Of feed eaten.
The average price In Chicago the past
season for such lambs has been s4.30,
varying from $3.50 to s2.73 for large
punches. The small bunch fattened on
the State College farm brought S5.32 per
head
The large western lambs fed in Colo
RADIO have scarcely paid expenses, and
the same is true OF the older sheep, both
southern and western.
At the State Agricultural College, Fort
Collins, four small punches OF sheep
were fattened during the winter Of 1884,
95. They consisted Of western yearling
wethers, western lambs, Mexican year
ling wethers and Mexican lambs.
Four different feeds were used: Al
falfa hay and wheat; hay and corn; hay
and sugar beets, and hay, wheat and
sugar beets.
When on hay alone, they ate quantities
nearly proportional to their live weight.
All the sheep made excellent gains.
The western lambs grew the most rap
idly, the Mexican yearlings the least.
The Mexican lambs gave the best net
profit Of S8 cents per head, the western
lambs II cents, the western yearlings a
loss of 10 cents per head, and the Mexi.
con ycarlings a loss Of cents per head.
As return for raising and feeding the
hay, the western yearlings returned S4.67
per ton for the alfalfa, the Mexican year.
linRa $500, the western lambs SS and the
Mexican lambs S10.94. The Mexican
lambs fed on alfalfa and cracked wheat
return e1234 per ton for the alfalfa.
It is worth about cents per pound
for each pound Of increase in live weight
put on sheep.
Sugar beets proved IN acceptable feed
to the sheep, and the most rapid growth
was mnde by those that had hay, grain
and beets.
In small quantities, as part OF mod
crate ration, sugar beets made a return
Of about s3 per ton. Fed all the sheep
would eat, they returned but s2 per ton,
too small an amount to pay for raising
them.
Wheat and corn fed in equal quantities
to like sheep gave Just the same amount
Of growth, the same shrinknge in ship.
ping, and the same dressed weight.
Wheat gave better growth than corr
during the first half OF the winter, and
the reverse for the latter half.
Probably the best combination is wheat
the first third Of the time, wheat ano
corn mixed during the middle Of the WIN
ter, and corn for the "anishing off,"
In each bunch the larger sheep grew
faster and proved more profitable than
the smaller.
During the cold weather the sheep ate
more per head than in warm weather; but
the cold did not interfere with theiI
growth.
The best gains in weight were made
when the average daily temperature wai
below freezing.
The feeders OF Colorado have pecu
linr way OF never making any profit OF
their feeding transactions, but Of taking
out all expenBes and counting the re
mainder as having been obtained for til,
hay. Figured in this way, the sheeI
feeders netted s5.70 ton for their al
falfa, after paying for the labor Of haul
ing and feeding it, or e7.45 per ton To-
the hay delivered at the racks.
The above facts and figures are taker
from bulletin No. 80, issued by tho Stat,
Agricultural College, Fort Collins. Thi.
bulletin is pamphlet OF forty. .eigh
pages, all OF which are devoted to sheel
feeding, giving full details Of expert
mental feeding and much other informa
tion of great value to farmers who ar,
thinking Of going into this business
The extracts above will give our render
an idea of the scope Of the bulletin
Farmers interested should write DR.
Aston Ellis, president, for copy, o
call at the Enterprise Office, where W,
have q limited number OF copies 70
those who wish them.
The feeding Of sheep promises to b
IN important feature Of farm activity il
the Rocky Ford country, and our friend
should take advantage OF all opportuni
ties to profit by the experience Of thos
portions Of the state in which sheer
feeding has been popular for a numbe
OF years. This valuable information col
be obtained from bulletin No. 80.
Rocky Ford's Next Lecture.
The next entertainment in the Librar,
course will be by Preston Kendall, an,
- Il y