The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1904-05-14
Winter Sheep
Feeding

To make the winter feeding of ?
flock of lambs profitable some priu-
ciples proved by practice should be
well understood by the beginner and
by farmers who this year for the first
time have ventured into the business
In the first place 1t may be said thai
rapid gains must be aimed for. If the
feeding process is allowed to DRAG
along the profits will diminish &C
cordingly. Everything possible should
be done to fatten the sheep off quickly
and have them go on the market In
prime condition and in uniform lots.
Cheap shelter will do well enough for
sheep. They .do not require expen-
sive stables and should have great
deal Of fresh air. provided they are
sheltered from inclement weather and
cold northwest winds. 1t will suffice
to furnish shed giving this shelter.
and the next point is to have the bed
dry at all times. Sheep cannot stand
damp and wet. They should never be
allowed to lie upon wet ground or
damp. dirty. decomposing manure.
Such beds give rise to irritating
gases which cause sheep to cough
and continual coughing means loss
of time, loss of appetite and suspend
ed cud-chewing. Sheep to do well
should be kept quiet, dry and COM
Portable. They will not make money
for their owner if they are allowed to
range over large areas such as corn
stalk fields, and win not put on flesh
from such food. Their drinking water
should be abundant and pure. and all
food of first class quality and free
from faint or mold Grain fed twice
daily pays better than rations given
more frequently. Hay by preference
should be well made clover with nice.
bright corn slower for change. or
better still, field peas and oats sown
together cut green and put up as nay.
In addition some succulent food such
as silage or roots should be fed. A
good plan OF feeding is to start at
6 a. m. and give each sheep that has
previously been fed grain, one-halt
pound of mixture of equal parts
whole oats, shelled corn and bran.
After this has been cleaned up the
silage should follow and one pound
per sheep should be enough. Roots
may take the place Of silage, and 1t
has been found that an adult sheep
will require as high as twenty.four
pounds in day. The grain and sue.
culent food having been eaten, the
hay Is next to be fed and the amount
should be. just that which the sheep
will eat up clean. What they leave is
best used for bedding purposes.
When the hay has been eaten the
lambs will lie down to rest and rumin-
ate, and this is what we should en-
courage. There should be nothing to
disturb the sheep and lead them to
stop chewing the cud II they arc to
make rapid gains. At four o'clock the
same grain ration may be fed, to be
followed by the hay, SO that all of the
second feed will be cleaned up by
O'Clock, after which sheep do not like
to eat and should not be made to do
so. They should lie down and com.
mence chewing the cud at dusk and
have long quiet sleep. during which
time the fat and flesh are being put
on. II on the contrary they are con-
stantly required to be up and eating
or running here and there, over the
farm, they will consume the food nu-
trients for work rather than gain pro.
duction. At the start cut the flock
Into several small lots to be fed sep
arately. Put all of the best lambs
in one bunch and grade the balance
into lots according to their size and
condition. Gradually increase the
grain ration as the sheep become &C.
customed to 1t and always increase
with the cheapest of the foods used.
Where lambs have not been accus.
toned to grain feeding they should be
started on not over a quarter of a
pound of mixture of one part whole
oats and two parts bran and then may
be gradually accustomed to large
amounts until they may be put onto
full rations. A lamb doing we'll
should make at least three pounds of
gain per week on the above feeding,
and II four pounds or little over can
be obtained the work is proceeding
very favorably, and at the end of six
weeks from the start 1t should be
possible to select bunch of ripe
lambs and send 1t forward to market
where 1t will command good figures IL
the sheep composing 1t have been Sc.
lected of one type and standard If
quality and condition. Do not send
mixed lots to market. The poor lambs
lnjure the price Of the lot.-Farmers'
Review.