Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1913-01-21

= :
- HEALTHY BUNCH OF
Forty-eight ewes were equally d.
vided as to breeding, thrift, condition,
shearing ability and weight, into four
lots as follows: Lot 1, clover hay
and shelled corn. Lot 2, alfalfa hay
and shelled corn. Lot 8, clover hay,
corn silage and shelled corn. Lot 4,
corn silage and shelled corn.
The ewes were all bred to the same
ram, the breeding season beginning
September "a and ending November
IS. The ewes were run upon blue
grass during the fall, q fairly liberal
allowance of corn and cotton seed
meal being given. They were divided
into lots on November Is and fed the
different rations as indicated above.
On the average this meant about four
months feeding of the ewes before
lambing.
The result Of the experiment was
as follows:
Lot Average number lambs,
1.67; average weight per lamb, 6.5S
pounds; condition, prime to medium,
per cent, IS; medium to inferior, 35
per cent.
Lot No. Average number lambs,
Its; average weight per lamb, 7.9l
pounds; condition, prime to medium,
rs per cent; medium to inferior, "a
per cent.
Lot No. 3-Average number lambs,
1.67; average weight per lamb, 7.44
pounds; condition, prime to medium,
70 per cent; medium to inferior, ~
per cent.
Lot No. Average number lambs,
1888; average weight per lamb, S.36
pounds; condition, prime to medium,
so per cent; medium to inferior, Is
per cent.
Condition was marked on each
lamb at birth with latest first, prime,
choice, good, medium, fair, common,
inferior. None of the lots had an
inferior lamb. The clover lot was
the only lot to have a common lamb,
which amounted to per cent Of the
total born in that lot.
AS to. vigor at birth the lambs
showed up as follows:
Lot 1-Vigor strong, GO per cent;
medium, 80 per cent; weak, 5 per
cont. dead nor cent
Lot No. 2-Vigor strong, sc per
cent; medium, 5 per cent; weak, s
per cent; dead, 4 per cent.
Lot No. 3-Vigor strong, 80 per
cent; medium, 20 per cent; weak,
none; dead, none.
Lot No. 4-Vigor strong, 81 per
cent; medium, ~ per cent; weak,
none; dead none.
The ewes were so fed as 10 make
their gains practically identical, thus
making the factor of gain uniform.
These ewes would be considered very
we'll fed, much better than the aver
age farm flock.
That corn and corn silage should
produce such strong, we'll conditioned
large lambs at birth is somewhat SUR
prising. 1t so happened that they
gave birth to the least number, or
1.33 lambs as compared to practically
IL lambs with the other three lots.
This, of course. would tend to make
these lambs heavier, the difference in
number born, however, not being
enough to offset the advantage which
the silage fed lambs seemed to have.
The daily cost Of feed per eve was:
Lot l. Eat cents; lot 2, 2.75 cents; lot
3, 2.O3 cents; and lot 4, 1.66 cents.
Thus it is evident that the use of the
Stage greatly cheapened the daily
cost of feed :.
The chances are that the ration
could be made more economical and
much more efficient if some cotton
seed meal or oil meal were added to
the corn and corn silage when
allowed the ewes. 1t would re-
suit in not only cheapening the
ration, but in healthier lambs.
The addition of some oats
chcapening the ration, but in health
would be Of some value, especially
when they are moderate in price, as
this year. Oats is premier feed fer
ewes at any rate and they may b.
given a small allowance.
In figuring the cost Of lambs at
birth with the above rations, taking
into consideration the cost of feeding
during the winter period, cost ofspas-
ture and crediting the eve with the
average wool clip, we find that the
lambs cost on the average practically
seven to ten times as much where
silage is not used as where it is made
part of the ration. For instance,
last year our lambs at birth cost on
clover and alfalfa practically $l.25
each, while on the ration of clover
silage and silage the costs were re-
spectively 60 and 10 cents.