IEEDINGAND MANAGEMENT DOANE ^AgK^ X J£~S -s ( S ^*- l,*2s \~*^44*^&£*^ GIFT OF SHEEP FEEDING AND FARM MANAGEMENT BY D. HOWARD DOANE, B.S., M.S. ASSISTANT AGRICULTURIST IN THE OFFICE OF FARM MANAGEMENT UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, IN CHARGE, OF FARM MANAGEMENT IN THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI GINN AND COMPANY BOSTON • NEW YORK • CHICAGO • LONDON COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY D. HOWARD DOANE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 912.4 gtftcngum jprcgg GINN AND COMPANY- PRO- PRIETORS • BOSTON • U.S.A. PREFACE This book is the result of an original investigation carried on by the author, covering a period of about four years. It is based on farm practices as they occur in the United States, — particularly in the Middle West, — and their relation to the feeding of sheep for market. Its purpose is to furnish to those interested in the feed- ing of sheep for market, whether students or farmers, the information that will enable them to carry on the necessary operations profitably. The student desiring to inform himself regarding the most modern and profitable methods for buying, feeding, and marketing sheep, instinctively turns to the literature on the subject. Save for a few bulletins on experimental sheep feeding, he finds that the field has been practically untouched. He sees in our agricultural press frequent reports and comments that seem to point to this phase of farming as not only profitable but also sound, and advis- able from the standpoint of the economical use of crops, the conservation of soil fertility, and the saving of labor. Naturally he desires a reliable and practical source of in- formation on the subject. Hence to the student the author would commend these pages, trusting that in their study he will find the answers to his questions, and facts and plans that, will aid him in his future farm operations. Men who have watched somewhat closely the sheep-feed- ing industry of our country know that it is rapidly passing from the hands of the professional, the speculator, or the 45*1.832 vi SHEEP FEEDING feeder of fifty thousand, into the hands of the farmer who handles but a carload or two. Hundreds have fed sheep for the first time during the last two or three years, and have started with merely a little uncertain knowledge that was gleaned from a neighbor. For these it is hoped that a few words from the broad experiences of many of the most successful sheep men in the United States will prove a means by which some of the "breakers" in the sheep-feeding business may be avoided. To both the student and the farmer it may be said that the greatest success will come only after an extended per- sonal experience ; but a clear understanding of the needs, habits, and characteristics of sheep will be found an invalu- able aid to each if he wishes to get his first lessons at a reasonable price. To those who follow these pages to the end it will be evident that there has been no effort on the part of the author to make of them a scientific treatise, but rather just a simple discussion of practical sheep-farm practices as they have been found in operation in the different sections of the United States. No one man, or no one community, is carrying on all the systems that are outlined. They have been found, here a little and there a little, one man adding a word and another affirming it, and so on to the completed and rounded whole. To those who have so generously given their experiences, successes and failures, ideas and opinions, the author wishes to extend his most sincere thanks, for without their broad- minded and public-spirited help this work would have been impossible. It is from the farmers and those interested in their welfare, and to them and their sons and daughters in our agricultural schools and colleges it is given. PKEFACE vii To Professor W. J. Spillman, head of the Office of Farm Management, United States Department of Agriculture, and C. Beaman Smith of the same office, Dean F. B. Mumford of the Missouri College of Agriculture, and Dean E. Davenport and Professor Herbert W. Mumford of the Illinois College of Agriculture, the author wishes to acknowl- edge his indebtedness, extend his most sincere thanks, and express his appreciation of their kind and invaluable criti- cism of the manuscript and their suggestions for its im- provement. The publication of the book was made possible, to a large degree, through the kindness and generosity of these men. All the photographs not labeled were taken by the author, and are used here by the courtesy of the Office of Farm Management, United States Department of Agriculture. Where otherwise stated, they were loaned through the kindness of J. V. Henley of Greencastle, Missouri. To both parties the author wishes to express his appreciation. D. HOWARD DOANE CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. A CLASSIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF NATIVE AND WESTERN MARKET SHEEP 1 II. THE DETERMINING FACTORS IN THE SELECTION OF FEEDING SHEEP 18 III. BUYING THE FEEDERS 26 IV. PROFITABLE SYSTEMS FOR FEEDING SHEEP .... 39 V. GROWING THE FEED FOR FATTENING SHEEP .... 77 VI. MARKETING THE FAT SHEEP 99 VII. RAISING LAMBS FOR AN EARLY MARKET 109 BIBLIOGRAPHY 123 INDEX . 127 fat ILLUSTRATIONS Study in Type and Form for Breeder and Feeder . . Frontispiece Successful Sheep Husbandry depends largely upon the Shepherd xiv An Excellent Study in Downs 7 Oregon Sheep on their Native Pasture . 12 Dakotas at Home 15 Yearlings fed experimentally on Corn and Clover Hay ... 23 A Few Rams selected for Breeding Purposes in the West . . 31 A Contrast in Type in Western Lambs 35 A Field of Corn and Cowpeas 41 Under Most Conditions Lambs will graze the Undergrowth with- out eating the Corn 45 Dogs are often a Great Help, but are seldom used in driving Fat Sheep 47 Here it was planned to have the Sheep consume the Corn as well as the Undergrowth 51 A Band of Western Lambs on Feed according to System IV . 55 An Orphan Lamb is often the First Live Stock owned by the Boy on the Farm 57 Mexican Yearlings receiving Corn on Blue-Grass Pasture . . 59 Plan for building Feeding Yards and Grain Troughs .... 62 A View of the Troughs shown in the Diagram on Page 62 . . 63 Crushing Ear Corn for Sheep 69 Interior of one of the Large Barns at a Sheep-Feeding Station adjacent to Chicago 73 Posing. From their Pictures we may study Sheep Character . 75 Cowpeas not only furnish Cheap and Excellent Lamb Feed but also aid materially in improving Soil Texture and Fertility . 79 Rape furnishes a Cheap and Efficient Roughness when fed in Conjunction with Corn 85 Sixteen-Foot Wooden Hurdles, easily made and moved ... 87 The Head of a Yearling Ram 91 xi xii SHEEP FEEDING PAGE Sheep like a Variety of Feeds 93 A Carload of Lambs which were purchased for Six Dollars and Forty Cents and sold for Six Dollars and Thirty-Five Cents per Hundredweight 95 Boys and Lambs a Good Combination 97 Ideals for the Feeder 102 A Bunch of Fat Yearlings just before being loaded to be shipped to Market . 105 The First Lesson 110 Soon the Lambs learn the Advantages of the Little Extras and eagerly seek the Warm Contents of the Bottle the Wise Shepherd carries ... . Ill The Ram is Half the Flock .'..'.. 113 The Results of One Cross with a Pure-Bred Shropshire Ram on a Western Ewe 114 Just a Few Hours old and weighs Twelve Pounds . . . . 115 Month-Old Lambs out of Western Ewes by a Pure-Bred Shropshire Ram, raised under Field Conditions . . . . 116 Successful Sheep Raising does not demand Expensive Build- ings 117 Runway in Sheep Barn 119 Lambing Pens for Ewes 121 SUCCESSFUL SHEEP HUSBANDRY DEPENDS LARGELY UPON THE SHEPHERD. IT IS OFTEN SAID, ff TlIE EYE OF THE MASTER FATTENS THE FLOCK" SHEEP FEEDING AND FARM MANAGEMENT CHAPTER I A CLASSIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF NATIVE AND WESTERN MARKET SHEEP 1 An attempt to classify and describe market sheep is at- tended with no few difficulties. Especially does this apply to Western sheep, for there is practically nothing written, and very little known, by the average sheep man concern- ing them. Even our best present-day authorities seem to differ quite widely in their opinions at times. Indeed, it is hard to point out any very exact and close distinctions between the sheep from the different Western regions and states, but experienced market men seem to see and know a difference, and one glance will generally be sufficient for them to tell from what state any given band or flock has come. With a hope of correlating and putting into concrete form this rather hazy and indefinite mass of knowledge this chapter has been attempted, for Western sheep form by far the bulk of the trade in sheep circles on our markets. The following outlines are given in as brief and simple a form as possible, and no attempt has been made to divide 1 The term ' f market sheep,1' as used here, means all sheep, whether fat or thin, not included in the breeding classes; and the word "sheep," when used alone, refers to all ages. 1 DEEDING the subciassesinto grafted ©Vgiv'e a description of what con- stitutes a prime, choice, good, medium, or common sheep. The classes and subclasses named here are those recognized on all our markets, and are the ones most important for a feeder to know when buying or selling sheep. CLASSES SUBCLASSES C Lambs Yearlings Natives << Wethers Ewes Rams and cull sheep C Lambs Yearlings Westerns J Wethers Ewes L Rams and cull sheep NATIVE SHEEP Two general classes of feeding sheep. All feeding sheep may be divided into two broad and general classes, natives and Westerns. By native sheep we mean those that come from the middle and eastern states. As a rule they can be distinguished by a predominance of Down 1 blood, shown in a more or less rounded and compact form, dark color of face and legs, smooth unwrinkled skin or pelt (which refers to both wool and skin), and a rather compact coating of medium wool. The first native sheep that reach the markets, the lambs, generally come in May. These early shipments and all that are marketed before the hot days of summer are eagerly sought by the killers. From this time on, however, stomach worms, flies, warm weather, and short pastures make 1 "Down," or "Downs," refers to our breeds of sheep called Oxfords, Hampshires, Shropshires, and Southdowns. NATIVE AND WESTERN MARKET SHEEP 3 a bad showing on the lamb crop, and judging from the small amount of flesh they carry, these late arrivals should at once be placed in the feeder classes. If they are, it is only the novice, unfortunately, that takes them out to feed, for in the majority of cases they prove unprofitable consumers of grain and roughness, and the per cent of loss generally runs quite high. In the writer's opinion there is no good reason why native sheep should continue to hold on the market the secondary place that they have to, especially when the highest honors are held by sheep that are bred, and in many cases inbred, so indiscriminately that we often hear Western men reply, in answer to a question regarding the breeding of their sheep, " Oh, I don't know; they ain't got no breeding." Also the water and feed that Western sheep often have to subsist on would be considered by Middle West farmers as starva- tion rations. When in such competition it seems strange indeed that those with the stock of superior breeding and feeding, according to our modern ideas, should be content to hold a secondary place. Even more strange does this seem, and greater appear the possibilities, when we are told by market men that the best native sheep that reach the market are better than the best Westerns. The only explanation seems to be found in the fact that the Western sheep average better than the natives. Western sheep men carry on their operations as a business, whereas the majority of natives are handled as a side line. If a word of prophecy may be allowed here, it will be that these conditions will not always exist and the farmer with the best advantages will assert his ability and take the lead, as he justly should. But, regardless of our wishes and prophecies, native sheep are as a rule unprofitable feeders, because most Middle West sheep farms are infested with stomach worms. The 4 SHEEP FEEDIKG ewes carry these worms or eggs over winter, and, while grazing the pastures in the spring, scatter through their manure the eggs, which finally hatch and infest the tender grass spots that the lambs so eagerly seek. Thus the lambs become infested, and, as the pastures get short and the days hot, the lambs become poor and emaciated, and then it is that the worms work their havoc. Indications of worms in sheep are well described by Joseph E. Wing in his book "Sheep Farming in America." He is speaking to the man who is looking for feeders on the market, and says, " Here are some natives, big enough, but their lackluster eyes and sunken wool and general air of discouragement speak, surely, of an internal revenue department held under the rule of predatory parasitic worms." By these signs they are known, and by these signs avoid them. Of course there are native sheep- not infested with worms, that reach the market in good health, and in some few cases are thin enough to go to the feed yards, but the majority of healthy natives that reach the market go to the killers. There are few, if any, cases when it is wise for a beginner to start with native sheep to feed. The old experienced feeder may in some cases find it advisable to handle a bunch of them, but before attempting it he should be sure that his judgment is sound regarding a healthy sheep, and that his conditions at home will permit of their profitable feeding. A second reason that some feeders give for avoiding even the healthy natives is because, they say, they are accus- tomed to good pasture and care where they are raised, — at least, as compared to the bleak, scantily grassed pastures of the West, — and when taken to a feed yard where con- ditions are not the best they will not thrive like a West- ern sheep. NATIVE AND WESTERN MARKET SHEEP 5 NATIVE LAMBS Native lambs purchased by the packers. In speaking of the native subclasses it may be said that the lambs that reach the markets during May, June, and July, weighing from sixty to ninety pounds, go as a rule direct to the killers, and it is these lambs that make the most money for their raisers. After July and for the next three months the late and more unfortunate ones appear. Apparently it is finishing that these lambs need, but the wise feeder passes them by. Native lambs are classed as lambs on the market until the following crop comes in ; but, when a lamb that was dropped in the spring of 1906, for instance, comes to market sheared in the spring of 1907, it is called a year- ling, regardless of whether it is twelve months old or not. NATIVE YEARLINGS Native yearlings not the best feeders. A native yearling is just what the name implies, — a wether, as a rule, a year old and under two. Native sheep that reach the markets as yearlings are generally late lambs that were not heavy enough to go with the lamb shipment the year before, and hence were carried over the winter, sheared in the spring, fattened, and shipped out with the next crop. This practice is not widely followed, but those who do follow it should remember that to carry lambs successfully over winter they must be free from stomach worms; and it is well also to remember that a ewe which will shear about as much wool and drop a lamb besides can be kept on what it takes to make a yearling marketable. 6 SHEEP FEEDING NATIVE WETHERS Few native wethers. A wether, in market parlance, is any castrated male two years old and over. Very few native wethers reach the market. Farmers find it more profitable to stock their farms with ewes than to keep the male lambs until they are two or three years old just for the wool. NATIVE EWES Cull native ewes not reliable breeders. As a rule native ewes reach the market as aged stuff, because the average Middle West farmer keeps up his flock by raising the ewe lambs; hence the females are not generally disposed of until they have served their most useful days as breeders, or become infested with worms. Native ewes seldom change hands as feeders. Some of the best of them go south for breeding flocks, to be kept for a year or two and then re- placed. It is seldom advisable to start a breeding flock from this class of ewes. NATIVE RAMS AND CULL SHEEP Too many native cull sheep. The scrubby lambs and cull sheep are, unfortunately, quite too abundant in the native classes. The fact that large numbers of native ram lambs reach the market each year run down in flesh, coarse, and unfinished, is unpardonable. This condition is due to the neglect of the farmer and his fear of loss from castration. Ram lambs can be safely and profitably castrated, and when the farmer realizes this and puts it into practice we may then look for a reduction in this class of sheep, which is wanted by no one and is sold to reluctant bidders at their own prices. 8 SHEEP FEEDING WESTERN SHEEP Western sheep come from west of the one hundredth merid- ian. Western sheep are those that are raised in that part of the United States that in a general way lies west of the one hundredth meridian, or the line that divides the humid and the semiarid regions of the Great Plains, running through the central portions of North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Old Spanish Merino the foundation of early Western flocks. It is generally supposed that the early Spanish Merino had a great deal to do with the formation of our first Western flocks. In support of this belief we can see to-day marked evidences of Merino blood in most of the Western ewes. In some states subsequent crossing with pure-bred Down or coarse-wooled rams has almost obliterated all evidences of this early blood. In others Merino sires have been used of late years and Merino characteristics predominate ; while in other regions so little new blood of any kind has been introduced that, as a result, a class of sheep remains that is hard to classify with reference to any of our modern breeds. Western lambing season covers long period. Lambing season in the West extends over quite a long period, begin- ning in late winter in the south and not finishing until May, and in some cases until June, in the north. However, the lambs are not marketed in order of age, for some of the first to reach the market are the Idahos. In Idaho they have a quick-maturing type of sheep, largely Downs, and this, with abundant early rains, produces an early fat lafnb. The order or succession in which the sheep are marketed does not depend so much on age as on how early or late the season may be, the abundance or scarcity of grass, the NATIVE AND WESTERN MARKET SHEEP 9 prevailing market prices for lambs and wool, the relation or margin between the two, and the amount of stock on hand. A dry climate excellent for sheep. Western sheep are noted for their hardiness and freedom from internal para- sites. Their ranges, as compared to the pastures of the Middle States, are scanty and dry, the grass is short but very nutritious, and these conditions have developed a class of sheep that are great rustlers and gain wonderfully when well cared for and fed. A dry climate is ideal for sheep, and so when they reach the Middle West and are turned into muddy fields and left exposed to the cold rains of fall and early winter, the farmer need expect nothing but ill success with them. Western sheep receive no grain while on the range, and when brought to Middle West feed yards must be taught how to eat it. This point demands great care and judgment, and will be discussed later. Seven main Western sheep regions. As has been said, there is a great deal of difference between sheep from some of the different states, and very little between others, but market men are as wont to call Western sheep by their state names as breeders of pure-bred sheep are to speak of the different breeds by their breed names. It might be difficult to distinguish between Arizonas and Mexicans, for instance, but one glance would suffice to show a vast difference be- tween Mexicans and Montanas. As it is quite helpful for a buyer to know the different characteristics of the sheep of different states, a brief description of each has been at- tempted. In so far as it is possible to group the different states or sections of states together, it has been done, and the following classifications are based on seven regions, which are shown on the map on page 10. The purpose of the map is to unify and present in a concrete way the 10 SHEEP FEEDING different Western regions. It is not intended to establish hard and fast boundary lines. Sheep of Region 1 will be known as Calif ornians, of Region 2 as Oregons, of Region 3 as Idahos, of Region 4 as Montanas, of Region 5 as Dakotas, of Region 6 as Wyomings or Colorados, and of Region 7 as Mexicans or Arizonas. These-names are applied arbitrarily. * 8 4 W O tf T- u o Y O. / DAK. 6 G COLO. 7 7 N. M E X. TEXAS Region 1 , Calif ornians. This region contains a variety of classes of sheep, mainly of fine-wooled 1 breeding. Lambing season extends over a good part of the year, and most of the sheep and lambs go to the city markets of the Western coast. 1 "Fine-wooled " refers to the Merinos, Rambouillets, and others. NATIVE AND WESTERN MAEKET SHEEP 11 Region 2, Oregons. This region is noted for producing a uniformly high type of fine-wooled sheep. Ewes are heavy shearers and are raised for breeders, being sold as yearlings to Western flock owners. They make excellent ewes to cross with coarse-wooled 1 or Down rams. Not many of the lambs from these sheep reach our Eastern markets fat, for they are shipped so far that the heavy shrinkage makes them feeders, though exceedingly good ones, by the time they reach the East. Region 3, Idahos. This region produces a very fine fat lamb that is the first to reach the markets, shipments be- ginning in July. Lambs show a high per cent of Down blood, with dark faces, quite smooth pelts, and medium bone ; and they bring high prices, for they are known on the market as " high dressers." They weigh from sixty to seventy-five pounds. Region 4, Montanas. This region produces a type of sheep showing both fine- and coarse-wooled breeding, with white faces, and in some cases quite heavy pelts and bone. They make better yearlings and wethers than lambs, for they have large frames and do not reach the market fat. They have quite a feeder demand, and are marketed from Sep- tember to November. The lambs are from five to seven months old when marketed, and weigh from fifty to seventy pounds, wethers weighing from one hundred to one hundred and ten pounds. Region 5, Dakotas. This region is going out of the sheep business, but at present produces a high-bred Down, with a black face, smooth pelt, and medium bone and wool. These sheep reach the market in October and November, but are not fat, hence go as feeders. 1 fr Coarse-wooled " refers to the Cotswolds, Lincolns, and others. ** 12 NATIVE AND WESTERN MARKET SHEEP 13 Region 6, Wyomings or Colorados. This region shows the greatest variety of breeding. The borders are inclined to resemble the adjoining territories. Fine-wooled, Down, and coarse-wooled rams have been used, but no inbreeding. A great many of these sheep are fed in Colorado. Lambs weigh from sixty to eighty pounds, have a medium pelt and bone, a white to dark face, and reach the market from August to September. Region 7, Mexicans or Arizonas. This class of sheep shows the least improvement of all in breeding. In many cases they are badly inbred, and when new blood has been introduced it has generally been by fine- or coarse-wooled rams. They have a fine bone, light pelt, white face, coarse hairy wool, and are marketed from August to September, many going to the Colorado feeders. These sheep are among the best killers that reach the market, and when thin are very popular with the feeders, and when fat, with the butchers. WESTERN LAMBS Western lambs most numerous of all feeders. Western lambs form from seventy to eighty per cent of the trade in Western sheep. They reach the stockyards from the range at from four to eight months of age and weigh from forty -five to eighty pounds. It is the common practice for the packers to take the tops, or the fattest ones, out of almost every bunch that reaches the markets, and those that are left go to the feeders. This does not mean, necessarily, that the feeder gets the culls, but rather those that do not carry the re- quired amount of fat for the killers. The Western grass lambs are quite well liked by the butchers, for when they reach the market they are, in most cases, well shrunk out and dress a high per cent. Western lambs are, in some 14 SHEEP FEEDING cases, classed as lambs until they are from thirteen to four- teen months old. For instance, if a feeder takes out a bunch of lambs in November or December and does not bring them back until March or April, — and in such cases they are gen- erally shorn, — they will then be classed as shorn Western lambs though they may be fourteen months old ; while on the same day a part of the same band of lambs, that was kept on the range, will reach the market shorn, and they will be called yearlings. In fact, a Western sheep that is direct from the range and has been shorn is classed as a yearling even if it is not twelve months old. Of course the teeth are the final and deciding test and the one used by the packer when buying in the yards, but it is entirely dis- regarded after the sheep is on the hooks. Here the test depends on whether it " breaks a lamb joint " or not, which means that if the joint which corresponds to the pastern joint of a horse breaks rough, the sheep is then classed as a lamb whether lamb or yearling, provided the yearling is not too heavy. If, however, the joint breaks smooth, as a joint in the leg of the chicken breaks, then it is called a yearling, — unless lambs are high and scarce and it seems necessary to run in some yearlings ; then the joint is crimped, or made rough, by a machine that some packers make a practice of using. One who has seen both the natural lamb joint-break and the crimp cannot be fooled on the latter, for it is more even and regular than the natural rough break. WESTERN YEARLINGS Yearlings hardier than lambs. Perhaps the next most numerous Western subclass is the yearling wethers, gen- erally called yearlings. This class may reach the market from the range any time of the year, but the majority are 15 16 SHEEP FEEDING shipped during the fall months, for at this time the feeder demand is at its height. Yearlings are hardier than lambs, will stand more exposure, and will do better on second- grade feed. In the feed yard they grow but little, almost all the gain being fat. Yearlings weigh from sixty-five to one hundred pounds on the market when they are direct from the range. WESTERN WETHERS Wethers the hardiest of all. The heaviest Western sheep that reach the market are the wethers, weighing as much as one hundred and twenty pounds in some cases, and sel- dom less than ninety pounds, except in the case of the Mexicans, that sometimes drop down to the weight of an average lamb. The wethers are perhaps the most rapid gamers and heaviest consumers of feed that we have. They will do better under rough and adverse conditions than either of the other younger classes, and will consume a poorer grade and kind of feed, but it requires a little more margin to feed wethers than lambs. Among the best wethers to reach the market are the big coarse- and fine- wooled crosses from Montana. The best fat wethers fill our export trade. WESTERN EWES Good Western ewes better breeders than feeders. Many of the Western ewes that are shipped East have broken mouths. This term must not be taken too literally, for it simply refers to ewes with mouths that are broken of a full set of teeth. It does not necessarily mean that all the teeth are gone, although this is sometimes the case. When a ewe's teeth are gone or broken to the extent that it interferes with her NATIVE AHt> WESTERH MARKET SHEEP 17 eating, she is said to have a broken mouth. Such ewes are from five to six years old and up. Under range conditions their most useful days have passed, but Middle States farmers who can furnish them ground grain, leguminous hay, and abundant pastures can keep them from two to four years, then fatten and sell them for nearly as much as they paid. During the time of ownership these ewes will have averaged about one hundred per cent of lambs, and sheared from five to eight pounds of wool each year. This book does not deal primarily with breeding sheep, but the point mentioned is worthy of every Middle States farmer's attention. From a feeder's standpoint ewes are not to be recommended, for their breeding value gives them too high a relative feeding value. On the other hand, there are some cases when a bunch of ewes can be purchased at a real bargain, and if the intending feeder has the proper kind of feed in his bins and mows, he can make money on them. WESTERN RAMS AND CULL SHEEP Few Western culls. Not many sheep of this class reach the market. They seldom, if ever, go out as feeders and as a whole are of very little consequence. CHAPTER II THE DETERMINING FACTORS IN THE SELECTION OF FEEDING SHEEP No best class of feeders. What kind or class of sheep makes the best feeders is a question quite frequently asked, but impossible to answer. We must remember that there is no more a best feeder sheep than there is a best horse or hog. However, under specified and definite conditions this question may have at least a partial answer, and with this in mind the following suggestions concerning the character- istics of the different feeder subclasses are given, with the desire that they may prove helpful to the intending pur- chaser in his selection of the best feeders for his conditions. Natives are of so little importance in the feeder classes that they will not be considered in this discussion. Duplication of climatic conditions in selection of feeders. Other things being equal, the feeder who lives in northern feeding districts — Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illi- nois, Ohio, and the New England States — should feed the Western sheep that come from the northern sheep regions, namely, Idahos, Montanas, Dakotas, and perhaps the Wyomings. The central and southern feeders have the Wyomings and Mexicans to select from. The Mexicans are especially well adapted to Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas conditions, while the Wyomings fill many yards in eastern Nebraska and Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, southern Illinois, and Ohio. This is a broad classification and only applies in a very general way. 18 FACTORS IK SELECTION OF FEEDING SHEEP 19 WHEN LAMBS EXCEL AS FEEDERS The most important points briefly stated. Lambs make more pounds of gain per pound of feed than yearlings or wethers. The feeding period of lambs is often longer, and may be made much longer, than that of yearlings or wethers. They eat less roughness per pound of grain than any of the other subclasses. Lambs grow, as well as fatten, while in the feed yard. It requires much more care, attention, and a broader ex- perience to feed lambs than older sheep, for they are often taken direct from their mothers and shipped to market, where they undergo many new and hard experiences. It is needless to say that such tender babies need the hand of experience to care for their wants. They are not the sheep for the novice. For rough cornfield feeding they are not as well adapted as yearlings or wethers, although there are men of experi- ence who feed them successfully in this way. For pasturing a catch crop of rape or cowpeas out of a cornfield, where it is not intended that the sheep shall eat the grain, lambs stand first. They require the best grade of feed served in its most tempting form. The principal roughness should always be a legume ; the grain, which is in the majority of cases corn, some say should be ground, while others state that shelled is preferable, and many successful feeders use ear corn. Unquestionably there is less danger in feeding ear corn than unmixed ground corn. Except in the drier regions of the West, lambs will require some kind of shelter during a feeding period that extends into early winter. 20 SHEEP FEEDING The necessary margin on which to feed lambs is con- sidered to be from one dollar to two dollars per hundred- weight. With a difference of a dollar and a half between buying and selling price, and a fifty-cent freight rate, there is generally a good profit for the feeder. For the man of experience, with good shelter (which means quarters that are dry and clean but not necessarily warm), the best quality of feed in its most tempting form, and an abundance of good water, lambs will beyond a doubt be the choice of feeders. THE FEEDING CHARACTERISTICS OF YEARLINGS AND WETHERS Summary of the most important points. Yearlings and wethers will finish on a shorter feed than lambs. They will consume a greater per cent of roughness per pound of grain. Yearlings, and particularly wethers, will handle stover, straw, nonleguminous hay, and hay of poor quality best of any of the feeding sheep. Do not infer from this state- ment that the above-mentioned feeds are ideal or even good sheep feeds, for they are not ; but the farmer whose main object is to feed up this class of roughness will find that large, thrifty wethers will handle it much more profitably than any of the other classes. Ear corn can be handled very satisfactorily by yearlings and wethers. For pasturing down corn, yearlings are perhaps the best that can be obtained. If it is necessary for the sheep to be exposed to the ele- ments at all times, yearlings or wethers should be selected. FACTORS IN SELECTION OF FEEDING SHEEP 21 It is generally figured that a margin of from twenty-five cents to fifty cents more per hundredweight is needed to feed yearlings than lambs, and from twenty-five cents to seventy^ five cents more per hundredweight for wethers than lambs. For the beginner, for one who wishes to pasture down corn, for one who has poor shelter or none, and for the one who has an abundance of rough feed, let the yearlings and wethers be recommended. If it is known that the con- ditions are not suitable for lambs, and it is hard to decide between yearlings and wethers, let the decision be based on the market supply and relative market prices of the two. In short, lambs require the best, wethers will handle the poorest, and yearlings occupy the middle ground. WHEN EWES ARE A GOOD INVESTMENT Old ewes require good conditions. Mature ewes with sound mouths fit about the same conditions on a farm or in the feed lot as do the wethers. They generally consume a little more feed per pound of gain than do the wethers, and when fat sell for less ; hence a greater margin is required between buying and selling price. Ewes with broken mouths require conditions more nearly like those for lambs. Ground grain and leguminous hay should be furnished, and shelter is generally advisable. In the majority of cases Western ewes demand consideration as feeders only when they can be purchased at a real bargain. SOME RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTAL FEEDING Some experimental facts. It is interesting to note here some of the results published by the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station in Bulletin No. 179. This bulletin sets 22 SHEEP FEEDING forth the findings of a feeding experiment with Western lambs which was conducted on the farm of a practical Ohio sheep feeder during the season 1905-1906. One hundred and sixty lambs were divided into four lots of forty head each and fed in the barn in pens, allowing seven square feet per animal. Each lot received the same hay ration, which consisted of one and one-half pounds of hay per head per day, and Lot 1 received a grain ration of shelled corn, Lot 2 corn and cottonseed meal, Lot 3 corn and lin- seed meal, and Lot 4 corn and Dr. Hess's Stock Food. Gains at five cents per pound. The gains made by the different lots were remarkably similar, but as the results from the shelled-corn lot have the widest application, they alone will be quoted. The experiment lasted 103 days, and the lambs made a daily gain of .298 pound per head. With corn at #0.48 per bushel, and hay f 5.50 and $6.00 per ton, a pound of gain cost $0.049. Each lamb ate 2.21 bushels of corn and 155 pounds of hay, consuming 402.44 pounds of corn and 504.06 pounds of roughness per 100 pounds of gain. They shrank 4.1 pounds per hundredweight in ship- ping to Cleveland and dressed 53 per cent. Lot 1 produced 11,525 pounds of manure, which was worth $29.67, or $5.15 per ton, when figured on a commercial fertilizer basis. Of course, manure must be handled in the best possible way to possess this apparently excessive value. It was figured that the total cost of feed and bedding for Lot 1 was $67.97; the manure value was $29.67, leaving a difference of $38.30. Counting grain, roughage, and bedding, it took 2251.62 pounds to produce one ton of manure. From Ohio Bulletin No. 179. Quoting one of the most in- teresting phases of the bulletin, we read : " Table XV, which follows, dealing only with Lot 1 and calculated on the basis 23 24 SHEEP FEEDING of the figures quoted for food consumed and gains produced by this lot, is of very much more actual value to the sheep feeder than is the financial statement previously mentioned. " TABLE XV. EFFECT OF VARYING VALUES OF FEEDS AND FEEDER LAMBS ON COST OF FAT LAMBS ASSUMED VALUES OF FEEDS Hay per Ton $6.00 $9.00 $12.00 $9.00 $9.00 $6.00 $12.00 Corn per Bushel .45 .45 .45 .30 .60 .30 .60 Assumed Home Price per Hundred- weight paid for Feeder Lambs Price at which Fat Lambs must sell per Hundredweight at Home to pay for Feeder Lambs and Feed used on Basis of Assumed Price $3.00 3.50 4.00 $3.546 3.890 4.234 $3.783 4.127 4.470 $4.020 4.363 4.707 $3.446 3.789 4.133 $4.121 4.464 4.808 $3.209 3.553 3.896 $4.357 4.701 5.044 4.50 5.00 4.577 4.921 4.814 5.157 5.050 5.394 4.476 4.820 5.151 5.495 4.240 4.583 5.388 5.731 5.50 5.264 5.501 5.737 5.163 5.838 4.927 6.075 6.00 5.608 5.844 6.081 5.507 6.182 5.270 6.418 6.50 5.951 6.188 6.424 5.850 6.525 5.614 6.762 7.00 6.295 6.531 6.768 6.194 6.869 5.957 7.105 7.50 6.638 6.875 7.111 6.537 7.212 6.301 7.449 " It should be understood at the outset that the figures presented in the table above are not applicable to all condi- tions. They are derived from the actual results obtained in this experiment from Lot 1, fed a grain ration of corn alone, the roughage consisting of mixed hay made up of clover, alfalfa, and blue grass. Although the figures on food con- sumed and gains produced apply, strictly, only to the par- ticular instance mentioned, yet they serve a very useful FACTOES IN SELECTION OF FEEDING SHEEP 25 purpose, since many feeders use rations which approximate the one used in this case. :" The table shows prices at which the lambs in Lot 1 would have to sell at home to pay for the original cost of the lambs and the feed consumed during the experiment, with feeder lambs at prices ranging from $3.00 to $7.50 per hundredweight at home, and with hay and corn prices in the combinations given in the two top lines of the table. "The figures underlined are those that show instances where the selling price may be less than the purchase price, under the conditions named. " The following brief computation presents the method by which the table was prepared (feeder lambs at $3.00 per hundredweight, hay $6.00 per ton, corn $0.45 per bushel) : Cost of 67.5 pounds feeder lambs at $3.00 per hundredweight $2.02 Cost of food (155 pounds hay, 123.75 pounds corn) fed to produce 30.75 pounds' gain 1.46 Cost of 98.25 pounds fat lamb 3.48 Selling price per hundredweight necessary to pay for feeder lamb and food consumed 3.546 Advance per hundredweight required to prevent loss . . .546 " CHAPTER III BUYING THE FEEDERS First questions for the buyer. Perhaps the first questions that confront the buyer of feeding sheep are when, where, what, and how to buy; and in an effort to answer these questions the following suggestions are made : WHEN THE FEEDERS SHOULD BE PURCHASED Most feeders reach the market in the fall. By consulting the diagram on page 28 we see that the greatest numbers of sheep reach the markets during the months of August, September, October, and November. Although in some years the runs remain high during December and January, it is largely due to the returning of fat sheep from the feed yards and not to a supply from the range. Fall, then, seems the logical time to do the purchasing, for the abundant supply gives a wide range of selection ; at this season, too, crops are ready to [be fed and the rush of farm work has somewhat diminished. There are some exceptions to the rule, but the exceptions as well as the dates for purchase will be discussed in connection with the different systems of feeding, for the exact date of purchase is determined by the system of feeding to be followed. WHERE THE FEEDERS MAY BE PURCHASED The purchaser of feeder sheep may go to the ranges in the West and buy direct from the raisers, or purchase on the open market, or buy from one of the many large dealers 26 BUYING THE FEEDEKS 27 that operate in the different parts of the country. The rela= tive points of each method will be discussed. Buying feeding sheep on the range. The main points in favor of buying direct from the ranges are 1. The purchaser has no commission to pay. 2. He can get his feeders when he wants them. 3. Those that he buys are apt to be quite uniform, being of the same breeding and having had similar care. 4. The tops are not culled out by the packers, as they generally are if shipped to the market. 5. In some states the railroads allow those who buy sheep in the West a freight rate direct to market, with a feed-in- transit clause which permits them to unload on their farms and hold the sheep long enough to make a feed, then reload and ship to market. This is very convenient for those who are so situated that they can take advantage of it. The disadvantages of going to the range for feeders — and these in the writer's opinion overbalance the advan- tages, especially for the one who only buys enough for his own use — are 1. Only the large feeder can afford to buy on the range; for it is seldom that a raiser will split his salable stuff, and most bands number from one thousand up. 2. The range of selection is greatly limited, it being practically impossible for a buyer to look over Mexicans, Utahs, and Idahos, for instance, when he has to inspect each class on its home range. 3. When on the range the buyer is at the seller's mercy, for he has to pay the seller's price or go without his sheep ; the seller can be independent. 4. One who buys on the range must be a good judge of sheep, for there he sees them in their very best condition. 28 SHEEP FEEDING 4 BUYING THE FEEDERS . •* • n IQ j>» •* — co ^ ••".; ;*^ COWPEAS NOT ONLY FURNISH CHEAP AND EXCELLENT LAMB FEED BUT ALSO AID MATERIALLY IN IMPROVING SOIL TEXTURE AND FERTILITY 79 80 ., SHEEP FEEDING the peas by hand or use a seeder that can be carried on his shoulder ; a more even distribution can be obtained with the latter method. The same varieties should be sown when broadcasting as when drilling. A practical farmer's experience. .A northeast Missouri farmer, who plants cowpeas in three hundred and twenty acres of his corn, states : " I have tried putting peas in corn at planting time, drilling them in at laying-by time, and broadcasting at laying-by time, and I find that those planted with the corn are incomparably better at all times of the year than those planted in the other ways ; drilling at laying- by time is much better than broadcasting. On July 30 one year I made a very careful examination of my cornfields to see what effect the peas were having on the corn, for I had an agreement with my renters that I would make good any decrease in the yield of corn that was caused by the peas. The results of my observations and the conclusion to which they have led are as follows: first, peas that were put in at corn-planting time had made vines seven and eight feet long ; second, in September I pulled up a vine that had thirty-seven well-matured pods on it ; third, I had one forty-acre field of corn that did not have peas in it, and it was the only corn on my farm that fired. All during the driest part of the year the soil remained moist where the cowpeas were, but became quite dry in the forty-acre field ; fourth, the best corn and the heaviest growth of peas were invariably growing together ; fifth, from the standpoint of the corn alone I believe it is advisable to plant cowpeas in it, and I do so whether I have any way of pasturing them or not." The planting of the corn and cowpeas at the same time, with a pea attachment to the planter, is undoubtedly the best method known at present. GROWING FEED FOR FATTENING SHEEP 81 Other ways of utilizing the cowpeas. The words of this extensive farmer sum up and state very clearly the opinions and results obtained by others all over the country. Many say they are confident that the corn is benefited enough by the presence of the cowpeas to pay to plant them even though the vines are not pastured by any kind of stock. Cowpeas are seldom, if ever, harvested by themselves when sown in the corn, so it is hard to estimate what the yield would be. In some cases in the South enough of the pods are gathered by hand to furnish the seed for the succeeding year's crop, but this is hardly practicable on a commercial scale. A very feasible and profitable practice is to cut the corn with the pea vines twined about it before the vines are killed by frost. Let the cowpeas and corn cure in the shock, and you then have some of the most palatable and valuable stover that can be obtained, and it is relished by all classes of stock. Broadcasting rape. The part of the cornfield that is to be planted to rape should be sown at laying-by time. It is customary to broadcast the rape ahead of the last cultivation, using from three to four pounds per acre ; however, one would be more certain of a stand if the seed were drilled instead of broadcasted. Ordinarily the rape does not make a very heavy growth until the corn has passed the height of its growing season, but from then until cold weather it does remarkably well. The rape makes its best growth in the fence corners and at the ends of the corn rows, where it receives more sunshine than is possible in the dense portions of the corn. Here it serves a very useful purpose in taking the place of the weeds. It may also be sown along the fence rows in the cornfields where the cowpeas were planted, and in this way the sheep that graze down the cowpeas will have 82 SHEEP FEEDING- a chance to get started on the rape before they leave the peas, thus making the change from the peas to the rape less abrupt. The Dwarf Essex is the variety that is commonly used. The value of rape from the practical standpoint. Concern- ing the views of practical farmers on the use and benefits of rape the following may be quoted. A north Missouri farmer says : " I sow three pounds of rapeseed in all my corn every year just to keep the ground from washing during the fall. I consider that it pays from this standpoint alone." An Iowa farmer remarks : " I have sown rape in my corn for many years and during favorable seasons it has averaged knee-high all over the field. From the standpoint of the corn alone I consider the rape beneficial, for I never had corn fire with rape in it and it prevents the ground from washing in the fall. As for the rape affecting the yield of the corn I cannot say, except that my system of corn, rape, and sheep has increased the yield of my corn in six years from an average of forty to sixty bushels per acre." These statements are representative of many others that might be given, all acclaiming its value and none stating that it ever affected either soil or main crop in any but a satisfactory way. Returns from catch crops. Now that suggestions have been outlined for the growing of catch crops, we may justly ask what returns may be expected from their proper use. The cowpeas and rape should not be sown together, for the growth that starts from this mixture is too heavy to mature and hence neither do well. Sow the rape on the richest soil. The cowpeas should be utilized first, for they are killed by frost ; then the rape may be turned onto and pastured until late fall or early winter. A good growth of one-half acre of cowpeas and one-half acre of rape will put from fifteen to twenty pounds of gain on from six to ten Western lambs in GROWING FEED FOB FATTENING SHEEP 83 from seventy to one hundred days. This amount of gain will in most cases fatten them. These results are obtained on the undergrowth alone, for the lambs will not eat the corn under ordinary conditions unless forced or taught to do it. GROWING THE CROPS FOR SYSTEM II, OR THE PASTURING OF A FORAGE CROP GROWN BY ITSELF Crops grown alone. Crops that are commonly grown by themselves, to be pastured down while green by fattening sheep, and in some cases by hogs, are rape, cowpeas, field peas, and, in the South, peanuts. The latter are essentially a hog crop, so their growth and use will not be discussed here. Rape. It is a common and useful practice to sow rapeseed in grain when it is from two to four inches high, or with the spring grain crop. In either case it is broadcasted at the rate of from three to four pounds per acre and lightly harrowed. When the main crop is removed the rape comes on, and during favorable years makes a very excellent growth. In preparing the ground for a crop of rape great pains should be taken to make a very fine seed bed. Rapeseed is quite small, and if sown on lumpy, ill-prepared ground a large amount of it may never grow. Too much emphasis cannot be laid on the good results attending a well-made seed bed and the great possibility of a failure if the seed is planted on carelessly pre- pared ground. Rape may be sown from early spring to July. The common practice is to broadcast it and drag it in, but a very much better yield can be obtained by drilling it in rows with a small garden drill, using from three to four pounds per acre. The rows should be far enough apart to permit of cultivation, and each time the rape is pastured down the stock should be turned oft7 and the cultivator started. If the 84 SHEEP FEEDING pasturing has not been too close and rains are at all favor- able, the rape will make a new growth; and by thus caring for it a green pasture will be made available from spring until late fall, for this crop is not injured by frost. Rape when grown alone. If the rape is pastured when it is the only crop occupying the ground, hurdles or some kind of temporary fencing should be used to keep the stock from running over the whole field, for in this way they waste no small amount. Trials at the University of Wisconsin show that an acre of rape has a feeding value equivalent to a ton and a quarter of grain when fed in conjunction with grain, and other tests show that a good growth will pasture from five to twelve lambs for from three to four months. Yields as high as fifty tons of the green crop per acre have been reported, but twenty to thirty tons is ordinarily considered a good yield. When turning any kind of stock on rape it must be done slowly, for there is more or less danger from bloat. This caution applies to all green crops that grow luxuriantly and in such a form that stock can eat large amounts in a short time. Pasturing of crops sometimes an injury. On certain types of soil pasturing of crops during wet weather may tend to pack and thus injure it. It is a difficult matter, however, to prevent this when the stock is once on a full feed of the ration, for if they are removed, there is danger of founder when they are returned. It is generally the soils that are low in humus that most readily pack, but as the pasturing of crops increases the humus we see that a continuation of the practice that causes the trouble will ultimately cure it. Utilization of cowpeas when grown alone. Detailed methods of growing cowpeas cannot well be given here, for such a dis- cussion would occupy a publication by itself ; in fact nearly 85 86 SHEEP FEEDING every state, as well as the Department of Agriculture, has publications on the subject. These suggestions are made on the supposition that the reader has a general under- standing of the habits and needs of the plant, and wishes to know how it may be utilized as a forage crop. Legumes. Cowpeas are an excellent crop for a sheep or hog pasture. They are a legume rich in protein, furnish- ing both grain and forage. They mature in from sixty to a hundred and twenty days, and can thus follow an early- maturing grain in many sections of the country. There is no crop that will show as marked beneficial results to the soil in so short a time as cowpeas, especially when turned under or pastured down. The growing of cowpeas on a com- pact, heavy soil generally improves the physical condition most remarkably, making it light, friable, and easily worked. Ways of planting cowpeas. There are a number of ways in which cowpeas may be planted, but from all standpoints except labor the following methods should be followed. As soon as the ground becomes warm in the spring and the weather is well settled, — from the middle to the latter part of May in the latitude of central Missouri, — drill on a well-prepared seed bed from twenty to sixty pounds of seed per acre. If a grain drill is used, from forty -five to sixty pounds will be needed, which will plant them so close that they cannot be cultivated, and not very many pods will form. Where a fairly good proportion of seed and forage is de- sired, either drill with a corn planter, in rows of regulation width, about twenty pounds per acre, or double-row with a planter from thirty to forty-five pounds of seed per acre. In either case it will be necessary to cultivate them, but ordinarily they do not need attention until most of the corn cultivating is over. 87 88 SHEEP FEEDING Use of hurdles in pasturing. The peas are ready to turn onto as soon as the first pods are well formed, but a better guide is to start pasturing them sufficiently early so that they will be consumed before frost. It is advisable to use hurdles or temporary fencing in order to keep the stock from roaming over the whole field. These hurdles may be moved forward every few days as the stock grazes down the new portions. Do not force fattening sheep to graze one portion clean before they are given a fresh allowance, for they will clean up each portion by working back over it day by day, but they must be allowed to do so from choice and not from compulsion. An acre of peas properly handled should make from fifteen to twenty pounds of gain on from ten to fifteen lambs, or about two hundred to two hundred and fifty pounds of mutton per acre. Hog raisers that pas- ture down peas say that an acre will feed five hogs forty- five to sixty days, making from one to two pounds of gain per day, depending on the age of the hog, or from two hun- dred and fifty to three hundred pounds of pork per acre. Some of the best varieties of cowpeas for sheep pasturing, and those that are also adapted to the middle latitudes, are the Blacks, Red Ripper, Groit, Whippoorwill, and New Era. The last named matures very early. Soy beans. The day will come when the growth of soy beans will be greatly extended, for it is a most excellent legume for producing large amounts of highly nitrogenous seed. As a forage crop for hogs it will undoubtedly rank above cowpeas wherever it will make an equally successful growth. It thrives better in the northern latitudes, while cowpeas are a southern plant. Stock farmers should give more attention to the matter of home production of protein, and the soy bean is the plant that will solve the problem GROWING FEED FOR FATTENING SHEEP 89 where it will yield from fifteen to twenty bushels of seed per acre. Field peas. Field peas, frequently called Canada peas, are adapted to the more northern latitudes in the corn belt and to the cool regions of the West. In the San Luis valley in Colorado, pea-fed lambs reach the height of perfection. This region has marketed for some time what is known as the Colorado pea-fed lamb, which as a class comes as near topping the market as any lamb that is sold. The cultural methods necessary for the growth of field peas are similar to those employed with cowpeas except that they should be planted earlier. They are a legume and thus tend to build up the nitrogen content of the soil. They yield in seed from twenty to thirty bushels per acre, and it is figured that an acre supporting a good growth of peas will fatten from ten to fifteen lambs, making from two hundred and fifty to three hundred pounds of mutton. Methods of pasturing and handling the sheep are not unlike those used in the feeding of cowpeas, and general directions for one serve very well for the other. GROWING THE CROPS FOR SYSTEM III, OR THE PAS- TURING DOWN OF CORN WITH HAY OR GREEN FEED FOR ROUGHNESS How to secure roughness. When sheep are run in the cornfield for the purpose of pasturing out the grain it is essential to furnish some roughness other than what they can gather from the corn blades and weeds. Under these conditions roughness is generally supplied in the form of rape or cowpeas sown in the corn, alfalfa or blue-grass pasture, or hay fed in racks in the field. Directions for 90 SHEEP FEEDING sowing cowpeas and rape in the corn are given earlier in this chapter. Western sheep in cornfields. When it is intended to have the sheep utilize the corn and forage during the same period, it is essential to start them on corn as soon as possible, for otherwise they will pasture out the undergrowth before they start on the grain. Wethers, yearlings, and in some cases a well-matured class of lambs are best adapted to corn- field grazing. They should be started slowly and given a taste of corn as soon as practicable. If they take to the corn too rapidly, it is best to leave them in the fields only a short time each day, the time being increased gradually until they are on full feed, when they can be given free access to the fields and they will then gather for themselves the proper balance between corn and forage ; provided, of course, there is a sufficiency of both. Rape is more satisfactory than cow- peas when used in this way, for it is available as a feed over a much longer period. Amount of corn necessary to fatten a sheep. It is generally estimated that it takes from two to four bushels of corn to fatten a sheep in a cornfiejd, the latter amount being re- quired for a wether, but a farmer in Iowa says : " I fat- tened fifteen hundred sheep, yearlings and wethers, in a cornfield that contained a good growth of rape, sown at laying-by time at the rate of two and one-half pounds per acre, and they ate only about fifteen hundred bushels of corn. I consider that the rape saved at least two bushels of corn per head." A catch crop as a saving of corn. A central Missouri farmer has the following to say about a bunch of Mexican yearlings: ''One thousand four hundred and ninety-two yearlings reached my farm the middle of November weighing GROWING FEED FOR FATTENING SHEEP 91 seventy-four pounds. In fifty-three days they were in St. Louis weighing eighty-seven pounds, selling on a margin of one dollar and seventy-five cents. They ate the corn out of a thirty-acre field, which yielded fifty bushels per acre, and had rape sown in ten acres of it; they also THE HEAD OP A YEARLING RAM Showing type, strength, and masculinity, — important characteristics for a successful sire. (Photograph by J. V. Henley) had access to a small meadow." From this we can see that these sheep made thirteen pounds of gain on one bushel of corn and the roughness in a small meadow and ten acres of rape in the corn. These examples show the value of furnishing roughness to cornfield-fed sheep in the form of rape. 92 SHEEP FEEDING Alfalfa profitably utilized. Alfalfa is a crop that requires very particular cultural methods, and in this brief discussion it does not seem advisable to give detailed directions for its growth and care. Suffice to say that it may be sown either in the spring or fall, seeding at the rate of sixteen pounds per acre on a very finely prepared seedbed. The soil must be sweet and well drained and contain a fairly good supply of humus. It is not wise to remove the hay or to use the first year's growth for pasture. It is generally supposed that alfalfa pasture will cause bloat in cattle and sheep. This idea is true if stock is allowed free access to the crop when it is green and succulent, and is not accustomed to a full feed of the pasture very gradually. If allowed to, sheep will eat alfalfa down to the crowns and do it permanent injury. A Kansas farmer who feeds extensively says : "I use the late growth of alfalfa for sheep pasture and never have any bad results. I use extreme care in turning sheep on, leav- ing them only a short time at first and increasing very slowly. I have neighbors who have had bad results with pasturing alfalfa, but I think it is due to carelessness in turning on. Alfalfa pasture, in conjunction with cornfield feeding, gives me the best results I ever get. I fill my sheep on hay when I first get them home, then gradually work them onto a full allowance of pasture, and from this to the cornfield. The corn and alfalfa fields are so arranged that the sheep have free access to both when on full feed. I never get bad results with this method when I make the different changes slowly." Blue grass and corn. It is a very common practice to use a blue-grass pasture for roughness in conjunction with corn- field feeding of sheep. This practice is wholly commendable, and results are generally satisfactory provided there is an 93 94 SHEEP FEEDING abundance of grass. Pastures that are not to be used in this way should have the entire fall growth left for the sheep, and in some cases the spring growth as well. It is claimed by many that horses and cattle should be pastured with sheep, for it is said that the large animals eat the coarser grasses and leave the young and tender for the sheep. When blue-grass pastures furnish the roughness for corn- field feeding, the sheep should be given free access to the pastures at all times. In some cases old meadows will be quite as satisfactory as blue grass. What has been said here in reference to pastures applies equally well to the handling of pastures in conjunction with Feeding System IV, where corn is fed on blue grass. When hay is to be fed. It is a common mistake among beginners to think that the sheep can gather all the rough- ness they need, as well as the grain, from the ordinary cornfield. If it seems impracticable to balance the ration with roughness in any of the ways previously mentioned in this chapter, then hay must be supplied. Alfalfa or clover is first choice at all times and almost essential with lambs. Older sheep can handle cane, prairie, or timothy hay, but these feeds should not be used unless no better are avail- able. From one to one and one-half pounds of roughness per pound of grain is about the proportion in which sheep consume feed. Instead of giving the theoretical benefits to the land from pasturing down corn, let us see what those who have had some experience Avith the practice say. Results following cornfield feeding of sheep. An Iowa farmer reports : "I have pastured down the corn in one of my fields for three years, and this year the yield is sixty- seven bushels per acre, which is a good deal above my old 95 96 SHEEP FEEDING average." Another says : " I bought this farm six years ago and my practice has been to pasture down most of my corn each year with sheep. My first yields were about forty bushels per acre ; now I average from fifty to sixty. My neighbors still get about the same yields that I used to." A Kansas farmer says : " I have cornfields where I have pastured down my corn with sheep for eight years. When I started this practice I received from thirty-five to forty bushels of corn per acre, and now my average on the same land runs from sixty-five to eighty-five. The fields that have not been pasture still yield around forty bushels per acre. One of the poorest farms in our neighborhood has been made one of the most productive by pasturing down corn with sheep." A Missouri farmer gives his experience as follows : " Part of my farm is very old, and I have one field that I know has been cropped for thirty-five years. At 110 time previous to five years ago, when I started pasturing my corn down with sheep, could I get more than thirty-five bushels of corn per acre on this land, but since that time I have harvested sixty- five bushels per acre from it. I have had yields increased from five to ten bushels per acre in a single year following the pasturing down of corn with sheep." One who has used catch crops, corn, and sheep for a number of years says: " I settled on this farm, one hundred and sixty acres of it, in 1892, paying seventeen dollars and fifty cents per acre, a price that my neighbors thought exorbitant. The first crops that I planted did not grow high enough to cut with a binder, so I thought my first step was to improve the soil ; conse- quently I seeded down my fields and fed cattle on them. In 1902 I tried another crop, corn, in which I broadcasted GROWING FEED FOE FATTENING SHEEP 97 ahead of the last cultivation, cowpeas and rape. In the fall I bought Western lambs and fattened them in the fields. Ever since that time I have been continuing the practice, and I believe it is largely responsible for what I have at present. There are now three hundred and sixty acres in my farm, worth fifty dollars per acre. On fields that BOYS AND LAMBS A GOOD COMBINATION The children can fill an important place in the raising of orphan lambs once produced little more than nothing I have since raised from sixty to ninety bushels of corn that was good enough to win at the state corn show, and the annual produc- tion of my farm amounts to about five thousand dollars." Pasturing of crops a fundamental practice. The foregoing statements tell in as convincing a way as possible what some of the actual results from grazing down corn have been. Many other farmers have testified in as strong terms as those 98 SHEEP FEEDING quoted regarding the remarkable results following these methods. It is quite universally conceded by leading agri- cultural men of to-day that the systematic pasturing of crops is steadily increasing among our most progressive farmers. There is no one farm practice that strikes as directly at the very heart of the solution of two of our most important farm problems as does this practice. It at once relieves the farm-labor situation and looks surely to the maintaining of soil fertility. It goes farther ; it supplies what has been so aptly called the soil key, humus. Some soil chemists tell us that soil fertility can be kept up by the use of commercial fertilizers, and the humus supply maintained by turning under green crops. Dean F. B. Mumford, of the Missouri Agricultural College, has said, " I consider it an economic crime to plow under crops to maintain soil humus and fertility." His point is well taken, for, when crops are properly pastured, the needs of the soil are amply considered, and in most cases there is realized, in addition, a direct financial return. The principles at the base of the system are sound ; the practice is profitable, it is permanent, it builds for posterity, and it gives promise of a profitable agriculture for our boys and girls. CHAPTER VI MARKETING THE FAT SHEEP We have thus far given our attention to the purchase and feeding of the sheep. We have found that success does not depend upon any one point, but upon the doing of many essentials in the best, most careful, and painstaking way. We now come to a phase of the work that, as a rule, few know little about. The marketing of fat sheep is of no less importance than the finishing of them, so it is well that we weigh carefully the words of those who have done much in solving these problems. Profitable marketing. A large number of men who are in a position to answer the question, What are some of the most common mistakes made by inexperienced sheep feeders, have told me that one of the most common mis- takes is the failure to market the sheep fat. The truth of this statement is only too apparent to those who are in a position to observe ; but it would be folly to contend that every fed sheep that goes to market in a condition that will permit another feed, is marketed by the first feeder at a loss, for this is not always the case. Many Middle West farmers buy their sheep early in the fall, run them in the stubble fields, in the cornfields, and on the aftermath of their meadows, make from five to twelve pounds of gain in about sixty days, and then ship to market with from twenty-five to fifty cents per head profit. Such a farmer fig- ures that his sheep have consumed nothing but waste, and all that he receives for them over the actual cash outlay is 99 100 SHEEP FEEDING clear profit, so he is content to market them " just warmed up," and to let some other feeder add the finish. Both par- ties to such a deal make money and both are satisfied. How- ever, if there is still a margin of profit on the sheep when the first feeder lets them go, — especially one large enough to justify all the necessary freight bills and the buying and selling commissions, — why cannot the first man do the finishing ? He may answer : I do not know how to finish sheep. I have no shelter for late fall and winter feeding, and it is essential in my part of the country. I feed cattle and hogs with the corn I grow and do not have enough for both. All very good reasons, but can we not answer: If feeding and finishing sheep is a profitable business, cannot the one who grows the feed well afford to learn the art ? We learn by doing. If the buyer of half -finished sheep finds it profitable to build large barns in which to feed, cannot the Middle West farmer do it with equal profit ? The experi- ence of thousands of successful feeders would indicate that he can. If sheep will produce on a given amount of hay and grain more pounds of gain than will cattle, — and it is a proved fact that they will, — and the feeding margin averages about the same for sheep as for cattle, why not feed the corn to sheep instead of to cattle ? Cattle are seldom fed without hogs to follow, and from the latter the profit most generally comes. No one ever heard a sheep feeder say that the only money he made from feeding sheep came from hogs ; for it is not necessary to look to another animal for the profits on the grain that sheep consume. The foregoing applies to the man who markets half- finished sheep, knows it, and still argues that he cannot afford to do otherwise. For the one who wishes to make the profits of both the starter and the finisher, and for the MAEKETING TH£ 'FAT SHEEP : ^ ^ one who does not wish to acknowledge, by turning the task over to some one else, his inability to complete a task that he has begun, another word may be added. Ways of determining condition. Unquestionably it is diffi- cult for a person not used to handling sheep to tell when they are fat. It is probable that the same person would have no trouble at all in picking out a finished hog or steer, but the degree of fatness of a sheep cannot be told by sight alone, for a coating of wool is between what can be seen and what really exists. The market buyers seem to satisfy themselves, regarding the finish of a sheep, by close obser- vation and by placing the hands on the sheep's back just over the loin. A sharp and prominent backbone will not be favored by the killers' bids. In determining whether sheep are fat enough to ship or not, observe some of the following points : Note the wool along the backbone ; in a fat sheep it does not split or part, but lies compact, as it does on the sides. The general form should appear well-rounded and symmetrical, without any prominent projections about the hips or shoulders. With the palm of the hand feel along the backbone, beginning at the shoulder and passing to the tail head or dock. As the hand rests on the sheep's back move it from side to side, which will aid in feeling the amount of flesh over the tops of the ribs. Width and thickness of loin can be determined next, and then one passage of the hand on the side over the ribs and a grasp of the leg will generally be sufficient to give a pretty good idea of the amount of flesh a sheep carries. Of course it would be impossible to handle each individual in a large band in this way, but a few that are representative of the flock can be carefully examined and a pretty good idea of the whole band will be obtained. As one becomes more a S ? s a $ 102 MARKETING THE EAT SHEEP 108 expert less handling is necessary. If possible, handle some real fat sheep sometime and retain the impression received from them in mind and fingers, and then the comparisons may be made when the occasion arrives. The proper weight for fat lambs. If there is an ideal weight for finished lambs, except hothouse lambs, that weight is between seventy-five and eighty pounds, and the nearer the feeder brings his fat lambs to this weight, the nearer he will come to topping the market. If they weigh a little less than this they will generally sell better than equally fat ones that run much over it. When buying feeder lambs in the fall, figure on the length of feed and the pounds of gain that you wish to make, subtract the pounds of gain from seventy -five or eighty, and let the remaining figure be your guide in selecting the weight of your feeders. Weight of yearlings. The nearer a fat yearling comes to the ideal lamb weight, the nearer the top of the market he will sell. It is not always possible to buy yearlings light enough. to finish at seventy-five to eighty pounds, but it may be remembered that they will be better sellers if they reach the market fat at a weight less, rather than more, than eighty-five pounds ; for, as has been explained, a light year- ling has a chance of becoming a lamb after he reaches the hooks of some of the packers. Wethers. Wethers seldom if ever compete with lambs, so condition is more important than final weight in this class. The best and heaviest wethers fill the export trade, and weigh from a hundred and ten to a hundred and twenty-five pounds. A very fat wether will outsell a fat one, but it is questionable if the difference in price will repay the cost of the extra finish. This, however, depends somewhat on such vary- ing factors as cost of feed, shipping rates, and market prices. 104 SHEEP FEEDING Suggestions for shipping sheep. When the sheep are ready for market it is to the seller's advantage to have them pre- sent as good an appearance as possible. If more than one carload has been fed, select those of uniform weight, flesh, and general form for each shipment. All tags should be clipped from around the tail, and the wool should be free from burs or mud. In handling the sheep about the farm, on the way to the cars, and while loading, take plenty of time and try to prevent anything that will frighten or worry them. Any one who handles feeding sheep can well afford to train a leader, for a well-trained lead sheep will do more to reduce shrinks and facilitate the handling of the feeders about the yards, scales, and cars than a good sheep dog or an extra man. If difficulty is experienced in driving a large number of sheep to and from the farm, it can gen- erally be made easier by cutting out a small bunch and driving them ahead, and then the larger band will follow without any trouble. Do not load cars too heavily ; but, on the other hand, fill each one full enough to prevent the sheep from being seri- ously bumped or jammed about by the jerking of the train. There is little excuse for a heavy death loss on moderately long shipments in properly loaded cars. Shrinkage during transportation. Shrinkage on fat sheep during transportation from the farm to market runs from four to eight pounds. A bad rain or snow storm, unusual delays, long shipments, poor watering facilities, and very fat sheep all tend to increase the amount of shrinkage, and in cases where two or more of these factors are combined it is possible that the pounds of shrinkage will be more than the amount mentioned. On the other hand a very short shipping distance under very good conditions may result in 105 106 SHEEP FEEDING less than four pounds of shrinkage. One thing that makes Western grass sheep so popular with the killers is the fact that they are well shrunk out when they reach the mar- kets and dress a high per cent. The sheep buyer. If possible, accompany your sheep to market and know before you start what they will have cost you when laid down ready for sale. This gives an intelligent and sound basis on which to accept or reject bids. It is a good plan to keep in touch with your commission firm and heed their advice as far as possible in regard to the exact time of shipments and other suggestions they may make. The feeder who thinks he can temporarily " fix " his sheep, or claim for them something they are not, and fool the old experienced buyers on our large markets, is sadly mistaken. Every sheep buyer for the packers has the records of his purchases (exact weight, per cent dressed, quality of mutton, and any other details that might be of value) sent to him each day. He studies and compares these records until he knows better than the feeder the real value of every load on which he bids. Such an experience, extended over a good many years, prepares a man to meet pretty severe competition; and the feeder who thinks, for instance, that the burs in his sheep are there to his advantage (for he may argue, " They weigh just that much more and burs do not hurt the mutton ") will do well to remember that the man who bids on them has, in all probability, bought thousands of burry sheep and knows to a nicety what actual deduction must be made, and, after surveying the conditions, also figures about how much extra he can deduct on the mere fact that the sheep are burry at all. This same principle works when he finds a few taggy culls or heavy-pelted sheep mixed with an other- wise good shipment. When a buyer demands a cut before MARKETING THE FAT SHEEP 107 he will buy, he figures who is coming out ahead before he ever makes a bid on tops and ends. For instance, you are on the market with three hundred eighty-five-pound lambs, totaling twenty-five thousand five hundred pounds, and are offered a flat bid of seven cents, which you refuse. Then comes a bid of eight cents for the one hundred tops and six and a quarter cents for the ends. If the tops weigh nine thousand pounds, they bring seven hundred and twenty dollars, the others one thousand and thirty-one dollars and twenty-five cents, or a total of one thousand seven hundred and fifty-one dollars, and you may be sure that the buyer has figured, before he makes the offer, that if you accept he will be in the neighborhood of thirty dollars to the good. Even six and three-quarter cents for the ends and eight for the tops is better from the buyer's standpoint than seven and a quarter flat, and it is only forty-eight dollars and seventy-five cents more than the original seven-cent bid. Points to watch while on the market. Another point that sometimes confronts a man while on the market occurs as follows : He arrives a little late in the day with one thousand head of lambs. Bidders are not very active, and he thinks he can afford to hold over until the next day rather than take the bid offered. Every buyer that enters his pens has to feel his sheep, walk among them, and stir them up ; and in some cases the same buyer makes three or four visits, the last one or two being made in the afternoon while the owner is uptown, and each time it seems necessary to thoroughly arouse every sheep. The next morning prices are no better and the feeder feels satisfied with the original bid. If all the careful examining of the day before and the extra time in the pens has caused only half a pound of shrinkage per head, it amounts to five hundred pounds on 108 SHEEP FEEDING the whole band, enough at seven cents a pound to pay the buyer for his trouble. Experience necessary for successful marketing. These little points are mentioned simply to put the feeder on his guard and to set him thinking. Do not imagine from this that all the market buyers employ questionable means in purchasing sheep, but do think and realize that you are dealing with a class of men who, in all probability, know more about buy- ing sheep on the market than you do about selling, and the chances are that any means of deception you may try will react to your own harm. There are tricks in every trade, and market circles are not without their share. CHAPTER VII RAISING LAMBS FOR AN EARLY MARKET Hints to the sheep raiser. This book is intended primarily for the feeder of sheep, and not for the raiser or breeder ; but there is a phase of flock management that is of so much importance to the corn-belt farmer that it seems to be worthy of a place here. It is not a new idea, for it is practiced in rather a desultory way in many places; but the following suggestions, which are based on successful practices, are given for the betterment of the sheep-breeding interests in the Middle West. That there is need for such information is well known ; in fact the sentiments of many breeders may be heard in the words of one of the best-informed sheep men in this country when he says : " The farmer who for- merly raised lambs from native ewes now buys Western ewes, and finds that after a crop or two of lambs his West- ern ewes are as badly diseased as natives (eighty per cent of the native sheep are diseased). There must be something done ; I believe the only thing is to sow forage crops every spring, and pasture them and not use old pastures. No class of men needs government assistance so much as native-sheep raisers. There should be something done to help them get rid of the various worm diseases. I think every sheep owner should be advised not to use the same pastures two seasons in succession." The early-lamb business in the South. In Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky the systematic practice of raising lambs for an early market has reached a high development. 109 THE FIRST LESSON Patience and perseverance will finally win, though the first lessons have to be forced upon the unwilling youngster 110 RAISING LAMBS FOE AN EAELY MARKET 111 Of course there are farmers here and there all over the Middle West that breed their ewes for early lambs, but the practice is not general or as well organized in any other section of the country as it is in the states mentioned. Let us notice the conditions, stock, and methods of these central SOON THE LAMBS LEARN THE ADVANTAGES OF THE LITTLE EXTRAS AND EAGERLY SEEK THE WARM CONTENTS OP THE BOTTLE THE WlSE SHEPHERD CARRIES Southern farmers, and see to what extent their practices may be duplicated elsewhere. Early pasturing possibilities. Climatic conditions in Ten- nessee and Kentucky are much milder than prevail through- out the greater part of the corn belt; but aside from comparatively mild winters Middle States possibilities for early-lamb raising are as favorable as those in the central South. Blue-grass and orchard-grass pastures are available 112 SHEEP FEEDING from nine to ten months of the year, and pure spring water is generally abundant. Stomach worms and scab are trou- blesome, and dogs are considered by most sheep men as the greatest drawback to the industry. Inexpensive grade ewes in the South. The ewes from which the Kentucky and Tennessee lambs are raised aver- age poorer in breeding, form, quality, condition, and wool than the grade Down ewes owned by the Middle States farmers. In the southern sections of this region most of the ewes come from the mountain district of Tennessee, or from Alabama or Georgia. They show coarse-wooled cross- ing, having white faces and legs and rather heavy bone, and are upstanding, with somewhat slender bodies and a scanty, inferior covering of coarse wool. Breeding ewes for the northern part of Kentucky are generally purchased at the Chicago, St. Louis, or Louisville stockyards. They are, for the most part, the grade Downs that Middle States farmers considered for some reason unprofitable and sent to market ; but these Southern farmers do remarkably well with them for two or three years, at the end of which time they are fattened and returned and a new flock is purchased. Southdown rams in the South. The great majority of the rams used in the South are Southdowns. A Southdown ram gets a lamb that will reach a weight of from sixty to seventy -five pounds sooner than a lamb of any other breed. They are noted for their ideal mutton form and quick- maturing tendencies. The lambs bred from this cross have dark faces and legs, short, low-down, compact bodies, and a medium Down wool — characteristics which make them favorites with the buyers and killers. Handling the flocks. Let us suppose that a Tennessee or Kentucky farmer with one hundred and sixty acres of land, RAISING LAMBS FOR AN EARLY MARKET 113 or more, has cleaned out his old flock and is ready to start a new one. During June or July he will purchase from the mountain or the Southern farmers a flock of about one hun- dred ewes, — it is seldom that more than one hundred and fifty ewes are kept on one farm, — paying from three dollars and fifty cents to five dollars a head for them. When he gets his sheep home he turns them into the poorest pastures THE RAM is HALF THE FLOCK he has until August ; then they are given the best grazing available, and the rams are turned in with them. This is called " flushing," and it is supposed to start the ewes to rutting and increase the per cent of lambs that will be dropped the next spring. The best flock managers leave the rams with the ewes about two months. From August to January the ewes are kept on blue- grass pasture, and in a good many years it is not necessary S I rvi -+J ^ all H 0 <4 EH OJ ;£ H S § ,1 3 !1 PB w .a S ° 43 a S £ X -i--l o .2 a i II *H M 114 RAISING LAMBS FOR AN EARLY MARKET 115 to furnish any grain during this time. However, it is safest to count on feeding the equivalent of from one to three pecks of corn per head during this time ; some figure that the grain costs one dollar per head per year. Frequently no shelter is needed, but it is advisable to have an open shed to which the ewes can go on stormy days, especially JUST A FEW HOURS OLD AND WEIGHS TWELVE POUNDS during the lambing season. The first lambs are dropped about the first of January, and the last arrive not later than the end of March. On all days that are not too wet or snowy during lambing time the ewes should be left in the pasture. During the early fall the best flock masters prepare a piece of ground for some winter grain, as oats, barley, wheat, or rye (the last two being the best), and by January, when 116 SHEEP FEEDING it becomes necessary to stimulate a strong flow of milk in the ewes, they are turned onto it. This is one of the chief requisites for the successful raising of early lambs, and it is one that can be duplicated by most of the farmers of the corn belt. One farmer says : " I can predict my success with MONTH-OLD LAMBS OUT or WESTERN EWES BY A PURE-BRED SHROP- SHIRE BAM, RAISED UNDER FlELD CONDITIONS Their weights, from left to right, were 32, 35, and 33 pounds. The first one is shown on page 115. The second and third are the most desirable market type my lamb crop by the stand of winter wheat I have. There is nothing that makes the ewes give more milk and the lambs grow faster than wheat or rye pasture from January to the middle of March." In March, or the first part of April, the flock is turned onto orchard or blue-grass pasture and left there until the latter part of May or early in June, when the lambs are sold. 117 118 SHEEP FEEDING It is not customary to castrate or dock the lambs that are sold before the last of June. Farmers of this region claim that a ram lamb will weigh from three to five pounds more than a ewe when five months old. If castrated, the five- months-old wether weighs just about the same as the ewe. Inasmuch as all the young stock is sold every year before the last of June, it may be said that these farmers are justified in not castrating the males, but it may be stated without question that it is unprofitable to leave them en- tire if they are kept until older than five months. Selling the lambs. It seems hard for some sheep raisers to sell a well-matured grade ewe lamb that would make a fine start in grading up a flock, but when he considers that she will sell for five dollars at five months old and cannot be profitably bred until she is a yearling, he sees that he cannot afford to raise her. A mature ewe that will raise one and maybe two lambs can 'be purchased for less money than the lamb is worth when five months old. In some sections the sheep owners have what they call a Lamb-and-Wool Club, which is organized for the purpose of selling sheep products. One of the most successful lamb clubs is run about as follows: There are some eighty -five members, owning near two thousand ewes. The officers consist of a president and secretary, the latter being ex- officio chairman of the executive committee, whose business it is to look after the sorting and selling of the lambs. The first Saturday in April the club has a general meeting, at which time each member tells approximately what number of lambs he will have that will weigh over fifty-five pounds on the day of shipment. In accordance with this estimate the secretary calls for sealed bids from all over the country, stating that the club will have its first delivery of fifteen 119 120 SHEEP FEEDING hundred lambs ready the twenty-fifth of May, all to be of standard grade and averaging from seventy to seventy-five pounds in weight, with none lighter than fifty-five pounds. This number of lambs for sale at one place, all of a guar- anteed weight and quality, brings out bids from the East, the West, and locally. Bidders know that only desirable lambs will be offered and that no trick or dishonest meth- ods will be used by the club to deceive the buyer ; for the club as a whole stands back of every sale. Such conditions very naturally call for the highest prices. The result gen- erally is that these club lambs sell for from a cent to a cent and a half per pound higher than equally good lambs that are bargained for in small lots. In one instance, in 1909, lambs sold for five and three-quarters cents not seventy- five miles from a successful lamb club that received seven cents. Wool is sold on the same principle as are lambs. The executive committee of the club grades each lot that comes in, and places it in the first, second, or third class. The grading of the committee is based entirely on the amount of dirt, burs, and foreign matter that the wool car- ries, the first class being entirely free from all foreign mate- rial. The fact that from ten to fifteen thousand pounds of wool of uniform and guaranteed grades may be purchased on a single bid, attracts large buyers who would not con- sider wool from that community if it had to be picked up a few pounds here and there. A summary of the early-lamb business. Let us summarize the important points of the lamb-raising systems followed by the Southern farmers, and see to what degree they may be carried out in the Middle West or corn belt. 1. The Middle West farmer can provide barns and sheds that furnish satisfactory protection for early lambs. " S . if w ^ r I if « *S 5 * F ^ W -T 03 ES 121 122 SHEEP FEEDING 2. Blue-grass pastures and winter grain crops can be made available throughout a large part of the fall, winter, and early spring. 3. Stomach worms and scab can be effectually combated on well-conducted sheep farms. 4. Western ewes that are superior to the Southern ewes can be readily obtained anywhere in the corn belt. 5. If the Middle West farmer, when using a Down ram, has trouble in getting Western ewes to drop their lambs during January, February, and March, he can use a Dorset and keep the ewes that come from the Dorset cross for his breeding flock. 6. Lambs should come early and be disposed of before July. 7. If there is a possibility that not all the lambs will be sold before they are five months old, they should be docked and castrated. 8. Flocks of more than one hundred to one hundred and seventy-five should not be kept together, and pas- tures should be rotated and forage crops used. 9. Lamb clubs should be formed in every community where there are sheep, for the purpose of selling lambs and wool. 10. In short, provide green crops for late and early pasturing; use grade ewes and a Dorset or Down ram; breed for early lambs that are to be sold not later than the last of June ; and sell and buy all sheep products through a well-organized lamb-and-wool club. BIBLIOGRAPHY A SHORT LIST OF USEFUL BOOKS CARMAN, E. A., HEATH, H. A., MINTO, JOHN. Special Report on the Sheep Industry of the United States. Part I, Sheep Industry East of the Mississippi River. Part II, Sheep Industry West of the Mis- sissippi River. Published by United States Department of Agricul- ture, Bureau of Animal Industry, 1892. 1000 pages, illustrated. CLARKE, JAMES WILLIAM. Shepherd Boy. (A book published by a practical and experienced man, — associate editor of The Ameri- can Sheep Breeder, — containing a fund of valuable knowledge.) Published by the American Sheep Breeder Co., Chicago, 111. 330 pages, illustrated. CLARKE, JAMES WILLIAM. Shepherd Boy : the Fitting of Sheep for the Show Ring and Market. Published by Draper Publishing and Supply Co., Chicago, 111., 1900. 248 pages, illustrated. MILLER, H. P. and H. H., and WING, J. E. The Winter Lamb. (An excellent little book on Dorsets and their possibilities.) Published by News Print, Mechanicsburg, Ohio, 1901 (there are later edi- tions). 62 pages, illustrated. MORRELL, L. A. The American Shepherd. Published by Harper & Brothers, New York, 1846. 440 pages, illustrated. RANDALL, HENRY S., LL.D. The Practical Shepherd. Published by George E. Woodward, New York, 1863. 450 pages, illustrated. RUSHWORTH, DR. WILLIAM A. The Sheep. Published by Buffalo Review Co., Buffalo, N.Y., 1899. 500 pages, illustrated. SHAW, THOMAS. Sheep Husbandry in Minnesota. Published by Webb Publishing Co., St. Paul, Minn., 1901. 200 pages, illustrated. STEWART, HENRY. Domestic Sheep. Published in Chicago, 111., 1898. 370 pages, illustrated. The Shepherd's Manual. Published by Orange Judd Co., New York, 1880. 260 pages, illustrated. WING, JOSEPH E. Sheep Farming in America. (A modern and valu- able book.) Published by Sanders Publishing Co., Chicago, 111. 350 pages, illustrated. 123 124 SHEEP FEEDING WRIGHTSON, JOHN. Sheep : Breeds and Management. (Book No. 1 of a series of live-stock handbooks.) Published by Vinton and Co., London, 1895. 230 pages, illustrated. YOUATT, WILLIAM. Sheep: their Breeds, Management, and Diseases: the Mountain Shepherd's Manual. Published by R. Baldwin, London, 1837. 568 pages, illustrated. YOUATT, WILLIAM. Sheep: their Breeds, Management, and Diseases : Breeds and Management of Sheep in the United States. Pub- lished by Orange Judd Co., New York, 1848 (revised edition, 1885). 159 pages, illustrated. BULLETINS COLORADO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. Bulletin 32, Sheep Feeding in Colorado. 1894. Bulletin 52, Pasturing Sheep on Alfalfa ; Raising Early Lambs. 1898. Bulletin 75, Lamb-Feeding Experiments. 1901. ILLINOIS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. Bulletin 129, Market Classes and Grades of Sheep. 1908. Circular 125, Sheep Industry from the Market Standpoint. 1909. INDIANA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. Bulletin 80, Sheep Scab. 1898. Bulletin 94, Diseases of Sheep. 1902. IOWA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. Bulletin 17, Feeding Lambs (with other matter). 1891. Bulletin 18, Experiments with Sheep (with other matter). 1891. Bulletin 33, Feeding Lambs (with other matter). 1895. Bulletin 35, Lamb Feeding, II ; Fattening Range Lambs ; Dis- eases of Sheep in Iowa. Bulletin 48, Fattening Range Lambs ; Fattening Lambs in Com- parison with Yearlings. 1899. Bulletin 63, Sheep-Feeding Experiments. 1901. MICHIGAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. Bulletin 74, Foot Rot in Sheep. 1890. Bulletin 84, Roots vs. Silage for Fattening Lambs. 1891. Bulletin 107, Fattening Lambs. 1893. Bulletin 114, Fattening Lambs. 1893. BIBLIOGRAPHY 125 Bulletin 128, Fattening Lambs. 1894. Bulletin 178, The Production and Marketing of Wool. 1899. MINNESOTA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. Bulletin 16, Sheep Scab and how to cure it. 1890. Bulletin 44, Fattening Steers and Lambs in Winter. 1895. Bulletin 57, Fattening Lambs in Winter. 1896. Bulletin 59, Fattening Lambs and Wethers in Winter. 1898. Bulletin 75, Fattening Lambs. 1901. Bulletin 78, Experiments in Sheep Husbandry. 1902. MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. Bulletin 53, Breeding Experiments with Sheep. 1898. Bulletin entitled Sheep Farming in Missouri, Missouri State Board of Agriculture. 1909. MONTANA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. Bulletin 21, Sheep Feeding. 1898. Bulletin 27, Live Stock Feeding Tests ; Beef Cattle, Lambs, and Swine. 1899. Bulletin 39, Sheep Feeding in Montana. 1901. Bulletin 47, Sheep Feeding. 1902. Bulletin 59, Sheep Feeding for the Years 1904-1905. 1905. NEBRASKA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. Bulletin 66, Sheep-Feeding Experiments in Nebraska. 1900. Bulletin 71, Sheep-Feeding Experiments in Nebraska, II. 1900. OHIO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. Bulletin 91, The Lung and Stomach Worms in Sheep. 1897. Bulletin 117, Stomach Worms in Sheep. 1899. Bulletin 179, Fattening Range Lambs — a Comparison. 1906. Bulletin 187, Fattening Range Lambs. UNITED STATES : Bureau of Animal Industry. Bulletin 19, Inspection of Meats for Animal Parasites. Part I, Flukes and Tapeworms of Sheep. Bulletin 21, Sheep Scab. Bulletin 63, Foot Rot in Sheep. Bulletin 66, Gid Parasite in Sheep. Bulletin 77, Cattle, Sheep, and Hog Feeding in Europe. Circular 18, Sheep Industry of England, Scotland, Ireland, and France. Circular 94, Foot Rot in Sheep. 126 SHEEP FEEDING Circular 102, Stomach Worms in Sheep. Orders (regarding inspection, shipment, exports, imports), etc. The Annual Reports of the Bureau of Plant Industry, and the Yearbook articles ; the latter are indexed in each volume. UNITED STATES : Farmers' Bulletins. Bulletin 49, Sheep Feeding. Bulletin 98, Raising Sheep for Mutton. Bulletin 159, Scab in Sheep. WISCONSIN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. Bulletin 32, Feeding Grain to Lambs. 1891. Bulletin 41, Feeding Grain to Lambs for Market. 1892. Bulletin 58, Rape: its Growth and Value for Soiling and Fatten- ing Sheep. 1895. Bulletin 95, Observations on Sheep Breeding. (From Station Records.) 1901. The Annual Reports since 1900 contain very valuable informa- tion on sheep. WYOMING AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. Bulletin 47, Lamb-Feeding Experiments. 1900. Bulletin 51, Sheep Feeding on the Range; Lamb Feeding, IF. 1901. Bulletins 64 and 68, Feeding Experiments with Lambs. 1903- 1905. Bulletin 69, Digestion Experiments with Wethers. 1905. PERIODICALS THE SHEPHERD'S CRITERION. Published monthly in Chicago. Prior to 1905, published under the name Wool Markets and Sheep. AMERICAN SHEEP BREEDER AND WOOL GROWER. Published monthly in Chicago, since 1891. NATIONAL LIVE STOCK BULLETIN. Published monthly in Washington, D. C., since 1907. From 1902 to 1907, published under the name The American Shepherd's Bulletin; prior to 1902, under the name The Shepherd's Bulletin. INDEX Alfalfa, 54, 92 Barns, sheep-feeding, 72 Beet pulp, 65 Blue grass and corn, 53, 92 Books on sheep, 123 Bulletins on sheep, 124, 125 Buyer, the, 106 Buying the feeders, 26 Catch crops, in corn, 39-43, 49, 77, 82 ; as a saving of corn in fat- tening sheep, 90 Classification of native and "West- ern market sheep, 1 Climate, ideal, for Western sheep, 9 Climatic conditions, duplication of, in selection of feeders, 18 Concentrates, value of, 66 Condition of sheep, consideration of, in buying feeders, 36 ; ways of determining, 101 Corn, with blue grass, 53, 92 ; with a catch crop of cowpeas and rape, 39-43, 77-83 ; the standard grain for sheep, 68, 70 ; amount neces- sary to fatten a sheep, 90 Cornfield feeding of sheep, results following, 94 Cowpeas, as a catch crop in corn, 39-43, 77-81; grown alone, 84; ways of planting, 86 Cull sheep, native, 6 ; Western, 17 Dogs, sheep damaged by, 46 Dry-lot feeding, 61 Early market for lambs, 109 Early pasturing, possibilities of , 111 Early-lamb business, in the South, 109 ; summary of, 120 Ewes, native, 6 ; Western, 16 ; when a good investment, 21 ; inexpensive in the South, 112 Experimental feeding, results of, 21 Fat lambs, proper weight for, 103 Fat sheep, marketing of, 99, 108 Feeders, when lambs excel as, 19 Feeding, some results of experi- mental, 21 Feeding characteristics of yearlings and wethers, 20 Feeding sheep, selection of, 18 ; when and where to purchase, 26-33 ; kind to buy, 33-36 ; how to purchase, 36-38 ; profitable systems for, 39-74 ; a green-feed ration, 39-48 ; pasturing down a forage crop grown by itself, 48 ; pasturing down corn, using a catch crop, pasture, or hay for roughness, 49-58 ; feeding corn on a blue-grass pasture, 58-61 ; feeding in the dry lot, shed, or barn, 61-76 Feeding stations, 76 Feeding yard, arrangement of, 64 Field peas, 89 Flocks, handling the, 112 Forage crops grown alone, 48 Form, consideration of, in buying feeding sheep, 34 127 128 SHEEP FEEDING Grain, 65 Handling the flocks, 112 Hay, when to feed, 94 Hurdles, in pasturing, 88 Lambs, Western, 13 ; excelling as feeders, 19 ; fat, proper weight for, 103 ; for early market, 109 ; selling the, 118 Lambing season of Western sheep, 8 Legumes for sheep pasture, 86 Leguminous hay and corn, 54 Market, buying feeders on the, 30 ; points to watch on the, 107 ; raising lambs for early, 109 Marketing the fat sheep, 99-108 Merino blood in Western sheep, 8 Native sheep, classification of, 2-6 Pasturing of crops, sometimes an injury, 84 ; a fundamental prac- tice, 97, 98 Pasturing possibilities, early, 111 Periodicals on sheep, 126 Purchase of feeding sheep, 36-38 Quality, consideration of, in buy- ing feeding sheep, 34 Rams, native, 6 ; Western, 17 ; Southdown, 112 Range, buying feeders on the, 27 Rape, grown in corn, 39, 42, 52, 81-84 ; grown alone, 84 Ration for sheep, 39 Regions for Western sheep, 9-13 Roughness, important for cornfield feeding, 52 ; proportion of grain to, 70 ; how secured, 89 Salt for sheep, 46 Screenings, 66, 67 Selection of feeding sheep, 18, 33-36 Selling the lambs, 118 Shearing, effect of, 74 Shipping sheep, suggestions for, 104 Shrinkage during transportation, 104 South, early-lamb business in the, 109 ; grade ewes in the, 112 Southdown rams, 112 Soy beans, 88 Summary, of System I for feeding sheep, 44 ; of System III for feeding sheep, 56 ; of early-lamb business, 120 Systems for feeding sheep, 39-76 Transportation, shrinkage during, 104 Undergrowth in the cornfield, re- sults from using, 43-44 ; methods of planting, 77-83 Weight, an important factor in buying feeding sheep, 33 ; for fat lambs, 103 ; of yearlings, 103 Western ewes, 16 Western lambs, 13 Western rams and cull sheep, 17 Western sheep, 8 ; in cornfields, 90 Western wethers, 16 Western yearlings, 14 Wethers, native, 6 ; Western, 16 ; weight of, 103 ; feeding charac- teristics of, 20 Yearlings, native, 5 ; Western, 14 ; feeding characteristics of, 20; weight of, 103 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY BERKELEY Return to desk from which borrowed. This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 9*1*4, LD 21-100m-ll,'49(B7146sl6)476 16(68 45.1832 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY