Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-08-09
LAMB FEEDING
Western Animals Easily Patterned
and the Business Pays Wher-
ever Practiced.
new MEXICO LAMBS TRIED
Comparison in Feeding Value Of Lambs
from Three Sections and Also Be-
tween Range and Pure Bred
Animals.

The agricultural department has is
sued a bulletin relating to the feeding
tbs being the author. He gives the re-
suit Of many experiments with New
Mexico sheep and f1ocks from elsewhere,
saying:
"The territory west of the Tooth meri-
dian, known as the range, is rapidly be-
coming the great breeding ground for
sheep. Already this locality is produc-
ing about one-half of the total number
of sheep in the United States. During
the past few years sheep have been rap
idly crowding the cattle off of the north
ern portion Of this range territory, and
it is quite generally recognized that the
range cattle industry is gradually dis
appearing, except in the southern Sec
ton. There Is a general interest in the
character and feeding value Of this
class Of sheep raised on the range.
I'm. order to compare the feeding
value Of this class of sheep with the ma
tive-bred mutton sheep, a car load Of
252 head was obtained by the Iowa ex-
pertinent station in the fall of 1896. They
were especially selected for the expert
ment lei Las Cruces, N. M, by a
merchants.
TRIED WYOMING LAMBS.
The range lambs averaged only
about half as much gain per head daily
as the pure-bred mutton lambs. This
marked difference is mainly due to the
TACT that the western sheep, reared I'M
der semi-arid conditions and scanty
vegetation, have only about one-half as
much digestive capacity as our larger
breeds, accustomed to more liberal feed
ing. In this experiment the range lambs
consumed more feed (dry matter) for a
pound of gain than those of mutton
breeds. The rations were somewhat diff
ferent, however, and this variation
probably accounts for the larger
amount of feed consumed for a given
gain, as their ration consisted more
A~A ~ ~ AoJy IA q AASSA
percentage of indigestible matter. A lot
Of ten northern range-bred lambs from
Wyoming was fed in comparison with
the mutton breeds, and it was found
that, while they consumed considerably
less feed than the pure breds and gained
only an average of 37-10Oths of a pound
per head daily while the mutton breeds
gained an average Of 3-10ths, this gain
was made at the rate of / pound for
each 6.S4 pounds of feed consumed,
while the average for the others was l
pound for each TBS pounds Of feed con-
sumed; consequently they produced this
gain even a little more economically
than the lambs of the improved mutton
breeds. This result may seem somewhat
contrary to the value of improved blood.
A principle of feeding which has been
quite clearly established is that animals
of pure breeding are not capable of rem
dering much, If any, higher returns for
a given amount of feed than the So
called scrub or native unimprOved
stock. This matter seems to be gov
erned by the powers of digestion which
are not materially modified by artificial
conditions. The chief value of improved
blood lies in the capacity of higher ex-
cellence of finished product and a COR
re%spondingly higher selling value. Sim
liar results have also been obtained at
other experiment stations where feeding
tests have been carefully conducted.
1T has sometimes been asserted that
some Of the native unimproved lambs
are superior for feeding purposes and
mutton production to the improved NUT
ton breeds. This conclusion probably
had it's origin in the fact that the Mexi-
can and other types of range-bred
lambs have at times been quoted as
high, and in some Instances a little
higher, than any other lambs on the
market. This is due to other reasons,
however, and does not justify the con
clusion that no advantage results from
improved breeding. The relatively high
price at which range lambs sometimes
sell is largely due to the fact that they
are of the desired light weight, and,
owing to the long distance in shipping,
they are well shrunken when they reach
the market and kill out a better per-
centage of meat than would otherwise
be the case.
PRINCIPAL FEEDING POINTS.
1.-THE range lambs that are driven or
shipped eastward to be finished on grain
feeds are largely divided into two gen.
eral classes-the northern coming main
ly from Wyoming and Montana, and
the southern from New Mexico and Ari-
IONA. Besides this there are a good
many that are annually grazed in Colo
RADIO, Idaho, Utah and other states.
Large numbers, mainly from southern
ranges, are fed annually in the vicinity
of Fort Collins and Rocky Ford, Colo,
and at New Brighton and South St.
Paul, Mimi, northern range lambs are
fed extensively each winter, being fat
tened principally upon screenings from
the large mills in the vicinity of st.
Paul and Minneapolis. About 200, 900
head Of sheep and lambs have been fed
there during the past winter. The feed
ers in the vicinity of Fort Collins ham
die about an equal number, and Rocky
Ford somewhat less, although this point