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All othar original copiaa ara filmad baginning on tha firat paga with a printad or Illuatratad impraa- alon. and anding on tha laat paga with a printad or illuatratad impraaaion. Laa axamplairaa originaux dont la couvartura an papiar aat imprlmte aont filmte an commangar.t par la pramiar plat at an tarminant aoit par la dar? 'Ara paga qui comporta una amprainta d'impraaaion ou d'illuatration. aoit par la aacond plat, aalon la caa. Toua laa autraa axamplairaa originaux aont fllmte an commandant par la pramlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'impraaaion ou d'illuatration at an tarminant par la darnlAra paga qui comporta una talla amprainta. Tha laat racordad frama on aach microficha ahall contain tha aymbol — ^ (moaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha aymbol y (moaning "END"), whichavar appliaa. Un daa aymbolaa auivanta apparattra aur la darnlAra imaga da chaqua microficha, aalon la caa: la aymbola — ► aignifia "A SUIVRE", la aymbola V aignifia "FIN". Mapa, plaica, charta. ate may ba filmad at diffarant raduction ratios. Thoaa too larga to ba antiraly includad In ona axpoaura ara filmad baginning in tha uppar laft hand cornar, laft to right and top to bottom, aa many framaa aa raquirad. Tha following diagrama llluatrata tha mathod: Laa cartaa, planchaa, tablaaux, ate, pauvant Atra filmAa A daa taux da reduction diff Aranta. Loraqua la documant aat trop grand pour Atra raproduit 9n un aaul cllchA, il aat fllmA A partir da I'angia aupAriaur gaucha, da gaucha A droita, at da haut an baa, an pranant la nombra d'imagaa nAcaaaaira. Laa diagrammaa auivanta illuatrant la mAthoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 J 1 -1 J ,* i i ARIO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN LXIX. ■ENING LAMBS FOR THE BRITISH MARKET BY THOMAS SHAW, PR0FE8S0B OP AORICDLTURE, AND 0. A. ZAVITZ, EXPERIMENTALIST. TBLISHED Br THE DEPABTMBNT OF AOBICULTUBB Nov. », 1891. TORONTO ^PRINTED BY WARWICK & SONS *^**«#,i»-4««. N ' i ,t . II? MINISTER OF AQBIOXILTUBa Hon. John Dryden, Toronto. Oitario Agricultural College and Experimental Farm, G\i<{ under control of the Minister of Agriculture. i-2e»« Jauks Mills, M. A Thomas Shaw Professor of Agriculture and Farm Superinti A. E. Shuttleworth, B. A. So. Professor of Gh(| J. HoTES Panton, M.A., F.G.S. Professor of Natural History and I F. 0. Gbbnside, y.S.. Professor of Veterinary^ H. H. Dean, B.S.A. Prof essor of Dairy Ho E. La WBBNOH Hunt, B. A. . . Assistant Resident and Iiiathematical ] Captain Walter Glarki Instructor in Drill and 6j 0. A. Zavitz, B.S. A. . Experin H. B. Sharuan» B.S.A. • Assistant^ A. MoOalluv, ADVISOBT BOABD. C. C. James, M. A, Seerttary John I. Hobson, Chairman Deputy Minister of Agrionltun^l . Motboroagh, County of ^1 BULLETIN IvXlX. FATTENING LAMBS FOR THE BRITISH MARKET. experiment bepjan on Oot. 24, 1890, and closed on April $91, seven days before the Umhs were ^hippel to Britain, refore covered a period of 182 days. The principal objects of )eriment were: 1. To ascertain whether lambs cm be fat- it a profit in winter for the English mirket, in the hope of another important industry to the agriculture of Oanada. ascertain the suitability of the average grade lambs of Ontario siid market ; and 3. To ascertain whether autumn shorn lare the more suitable for spring shipment. |e Animals Selected. The lambs from which those in- for shipment were selected were purchased by Mr. J. E. Storey, I'm foreman, in the eastern part of Ontario. There were pur- in all 505 grade lambs. Of those 312 came from the is of Linark and Carleton, 145 from Pontypool in the county lam, and 48 from Wellington and the adjoining counties, ?t lot mentioned reached the farm during the latter part of iber, those from Lanark and Oirleton on October 4, and [rom Pontypool on October 18. The lambs were a mixed take them all in all were somewhat below the average, as [hey were purchased good I'ambs were hard to get. They were tly the offspring of sires of the principal breeds which we the country. Each lot of lambs was turned into the rape |nd fed upon the rape until October 20, when one hundred were chosen for the experiment. In selecting, compact -sized animals were chosen, and especially those having dark far as they could be obtained. Notwithstanding, a consid- Inumber were not of this class. The most ungainly one=i, re, were counted out, and but ninety of the lambs were in- lin the experiment proper. Interesting particulars regarding >unted out will be appended in the annual report. DITIONS GrOVERNING THE EXPERIMENT. 1. The selected were shorn Oct. 22 and 23. On Octobar 24 pre all weighod sepirutely and the weights recorded. They |en kept housed in sheds in cold and rough weather, and were to pasture on the rape in the day time when the weather - . I I r\ 1 1:1 4 was fine, until November 21. After that date they were con£ to the sheds and the yards in front of them. The sh^da, or rai| shed, consisted of one large building with ceiling 10^ feet high hay loft overhead. This building was divided into compartmtj about the same in size as those described in Bulletin No. Lxviii. yards in front were also similar, and the general treatment of | Iambs as to confinement or exposure was about the same as those in the aforementioned bulletin. Some 16 or 17 animals kept in each compartment. We considered them a little oi crowded, especially when they were feeding. Food and Feeding. From October 24, the date of I first weighing, until November 21, they were fed hay and a liral amount of grain in addition to the rape which they secured in [ field. The grain ration was gradually increased during this peri From November 21, 1890, until April 24, 1891, when the ex| ment closed, they were given a ration consisting of grain, roots hay. The gr^in fed was accurately weighed. The whole amo consumed was — oats, 12,408 lb.; oat screenings, 1,062 lb.; pe 4,712 lb.; bran, 1,777 lb. A small amount of damaged wheat I is included in the reckoning for the pease. The ration thus foriJ was practically as follows : Oats, 7 parts ; oat screenings, 1 pal pease, 3 parts ; and bran, 1 part by weight. The grain was fed! the unground state. The quantity of the grain fed was increaj from time to time, and the average amount consumed per day! each animal throughout the experiment was 1.3 lb. The lai| were given all the hay they would eat. It consisted of clover timothy, but the principal portion was clover. The hay fed in I experiment was not weighed, but as another experiment was carried on simultaneouslj'^ in the same building, with lambs of s^ lar character and very similarly fed, in which the hay ration accurately weighed (see Bulletin Lxviii), we have used these wei^ in estimating the amount of hay consumed in this experiment, estimate would put the whole of the hay consumed at 13.9 tons,i the average amount consumed per day by each animal at 1.91] The roots cousisted of turnips sliced in strips before being fed. amount at first given to each animal per day was 1 lb. This increased from time io time until February 12, when they given 5 lb. each per day, and this was the quantity given until | close of the experiment. The whole amount of the roots fed th fore was 50,301 lb., or 838J bush.; or, an average per day for animal of 3.07 lb. They were supplied with water from taps inj pens. Estimated Value op the Food. The food estimated at the current market values in Guelph, less the cos^ marketing from an Ontario farm under average conditions 5 [tin Lxviii). The home value put upon the food by this mode of ling was : Oats, 34|^ cents per bush.; pease, 52 cents ; bran [)er ton ; roots sliced, 8 cents per bush.; and hay, $4 50 per ton. EIGHTS. Table i gives a summary and an analysis of weights ^ Weight at commencement Weight at close Weight of increase Average increase per head Average daily increase per head Pounds. 7,636.600 12,150.000 4,513.500 50.150 .275 average weight of each lamb at the commencement of th& [luent was 84.85 lb., and at its close 135 lb. The average )er month therefore was 8 25 lb. The highest average gain )nth was 11.70 lb., and the lowest 5.40 lb. ANSPORTATION. The lambs lay 1. The farm foreman took were pub on board the cars charge of them as far aa eal, put them on board the steamship Lake Superior en route erpool, and secured a competent feeder to care for them. The number of lambs sent was 100. To make up this number the bs described in Group 1, Bulletin lxviii were) added. Of these left with long wool and 5 were shorn just before shipment. ere thus chosen first, to make the numb»)i* exactly 100, and that some lambs might be included newly shorn and others Bed of long wool. The best of the lambs in those two groups [ept at home to be fed for show purposes. They ha,ve since }ld to be shown at the approaching fat stock show in Chicago, [ipment reached Liverpool in good condition and without the loss Ogle Iamb. The autumn shorn lambs stood the voyage better than porn in the spring, and also better than those not shorn, as pnd lot mentioned suffered from cold and the third from heat,, also be mention d here that the autumn shorn lambs occupied 3rably less space than those in full fleece when on board the I and on their arrival they were in more attractive form thaa [of the other lots. POSAL OP THE Lambs. They were consigned to Messrs. md Williamson, live stock commission agents, Liverpool, ta 3osed of. Mr. G. F. Frankland, ex- Alderman, Toronto, wha ' 1 Vas in Liverpool at the time, was also authorised to take not and report upon the same. Mr. Frankland reported : 1 . Thall lambs as a whole arrived in excellent condition. 2. That EnJ buyers pronounced them one of the best lots of lambs ever sent Canada to England. 3. That they killed well, dressing 68] «aoh, or a little more than half the live weight, which ' ' is oonsit a good return, more especially after a journey of over 3,000 mil^ land and sea ;" and 4. That when dressed the meat brought 17 per pound, " the highest quotation " at the time in the wholi market. Values. Table ii gives the financial results of the experin Value of the animals at the commencement of the test Coat of shearing Cost of food Cost of attendance Cost of sliipping to England , Total cost Value of lambs in England Value of wool Value of manure Total value Gain Gain per cent, on investment VaU;e8. $ 0. 362 7» 4 60 339 82 40 95 376 21 1,123 01 l,OGl 08 47 60 122 85 1.231 43 108 42 9.65 The average value of the lambs at the commencement of| experiment was $4.03, and the average price for which theyi sold in the English market was. $11.79. The average advanj value, therefore, was $7.76. The cost of attendance was estimaJi! in Bulletin lxviii, on the assumption that one man would caij 400 lambs. The autumn shorn wool averaged 4 06 lb. per unwashed, and sold for 13 cents per pound. The value put upoj manure as in Bulletin lxviii was f ct. per animal per day, one| the amount fixed upon by Professor Roberts, of Cornell Univa in a bulletin issued during the present year. The cost of transportation and sale of the lambs was $375.: $4. 1 7 per head. This was considerably more than the average o^ which experienced shippers puc at from $2 50 to $3.00 per This arose in part from the smallness of the shipment, whiij lity would involve more ex|)ense relatively than when done on & J Hcale. It is confidently believed that the cost of transportation [ale will be much reduced in the next shipment. If, in this lent, $2.75 which is about the avera^a cost, were charged against HI) 1)8 for shipment and sale, the financial results would be aa Total cost of lambs $995 30 Total value as before $1,231 43 iKttgain $236 13 l(»nin per cent, on the investment 23.72 per cent. lis the intention to repeat the experiment the coming winter spring. N (; L u 3 I o N s. The leading conclusions to be drawn from experiment include the following : That lambs can be fattened successfully in winter in siderable numbers in one building when subdivided into ^erately sized gro\.\ps. That average grade lambs will fatten satisfactorily in imn and winter when fed daily a ration consisting r^ Le rape for a time, 1.30 lb. grain, 1.01 lb. hay, and 3.0 • foots. That average grade lambs when fed in winter similarly Ihose in this experiment will make a gain of 50 lb. in lonths, that is to say, .276 lb. per day, or 8.25 lb. per ith. That with thie prices charged in this experiment, aver- [grade lambs can be fattened in winter at a daily cost of cents for food. That autumn shorn lambs are the most suitable for ig shipment, as they occupy less space on shipboard, better resist changes of weather and present a more ^active appearance in the market. That it will pay to ship lambs to Britain at an advance cents per pound, live weight, over what can be ob- |ed here, but the price obtamed in Britain last season not quite equal to 7 cents per pound, live weight, in irio. That there is room for a large and profitable trade in ide lambs between Canada and Britain providing they Ishipped early in the season. m