AGRICULTURE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN no. 538 - 353 Cap. NOTICE: Return or renew all Library Materials! The Minimum Fee for each Lost Book is $50.00. The person charging this material is responsible for its return to the library from which it was withdrawn on or before the Latest Date stamped below. Theft, mutilation, and underlining of books are reasons for discipli- nary action and may result in dismissal from the University. To renew call Telephone Center, 333-8400 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 11)805 1999 L161 O-1096 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS Agricultural Experiment Station BULLETIN No. 338 SOME COMPARISONS OF METHODS OF FATTENING WESTERN LAMBS if7 By W. G. KAMMLADB URBANA, ILLINOIS, OCTOBER, 1929 CONTENTS PAGE LAMBS USED AND EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE 3 THE 1925 EXPERIMENTS 5 Shelled Corn and Alfalfa Hay Compared With Shelled Corn and Soy- bean Hay 5 Com Alone vs. Corn and Soybeans "Lambed Down". 7 Supplemented Field Feeding vs. Dry-Lot Feeding 7 Dressing Percentages in the 1925 Experiment 9 THE 1926 EXPERIMENT 9 Corn and Legume Hay Hand-Fed and Self-Fed 9 Field Feeding of Corn and Soybeans Compared With Free Run of Cornfield and Alfalfa Pasture 11 THE 1927 EXPERIMENTS 13 Shelled Corn and Alfalfa Hay Hand-Fed 13 Ground Corn and Ground Alfalfa Hay Self-Fed 13 Field Feeding Compared With Dry Lot 15 THE 1928 EXPERIMENTS 15 Comparison of Corn and Barley as Feeds 16 Northern Barley Little Better Than Illinois 18 Hand- and Self-Feeding With and Without Barley 18 FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS 19 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.. 19 SOME COMPARISONS OF METHODS OF FATTENING WESTERN LAMBS By W. G. KAMMLADE, Assistant Chief in Sheep Husbandry That many farmers in Illinois are interested in sheep feeding is evidenced by the fact that each year thousands of feeder lambs come into Illinois feedlots from public stockyards. 1 Approximately 75 percent of the range lambs fed in the state each year are fed partly or wholly in the fields. On a significant number of farms these lambs may be an important means of utilizing and converting portions of otherwise unmarketable crops into salable commodities. The best methods of field feeding and the relative ad- vantages and disadvantages of this practice compared to dry-lot feed- ing are, therefore, matters of frequent concern on a considerable num- ber of corn-belt farms. Yet very few experiments dealing with the field feeding of western lambs have been reported by corn-belt ex- periment stations. This bulletin reports experiments with various methods both of field feeding and dry-lot feeding, using different rations with each type of feeding. The success with which legumes were used in the rations will be of particular interest, since the growing of them as a part of cropping systems had been demonstrated conclusively to be sound practice for the maintenance of soil fertility and the produc- tion of high crop yields. Nine lots of western lambs fed on corn and alfalfa hay gained an average of 100 pounds for every 350 pounds of corn and 458 pounds of alfalfa hay. The average daily gain in these trials was .34 pound per lamb daily. When combined with corn, the legumes, particularly alfalfa, clover, or soybeans, furnished a balance of nutrients well suited to produce gains. Further details about this and other phases of the experiments, which extended over four years and involved twenty lots of lambs, are given in the fol- lowing pages. LAMBS USED AND EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Choice Feeder Lambs in All Trials. Choice feeder lambs, aver- aging about 60 pounds, were purchased on the Chicago market for all of the experiments. In the 1925 and 1927 tests the lambs were from Oregon shipments. Those used in 1926 were from Washington, and 'In 1925 the number was 248,000; in 1926, 320,000; in 1927, 193,000; and in 1928, 216,000. These figures from the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, U. S. Department of Agriculture, do not include sheep brought in direct from ranges. 3 4 BULLETIN No. 338 [October, those used in 1928 came from Idaho. All were typical of the black- faced lambs secured by mating Hampshire rams with western ewes carrying about 75 percent Rambouillet blood. All lambs had good health, good constitutions, and dense fleece. Roughage or Pasture in Preliminary Feeding. In each experi- ment the lambs were at the farm a few days before the experimental feeding began. During this time each lamb in the 1925 trial received about 1.25 pounds of alfalfa hay daily. In 1926 all of the lambs were pastured on a mixed pasture during the preliminary period. In 1927 the lambs were on a small area of bluegrass and a little clover during the daytime and received some alfalfa hay in the eve- ning when in the lots. The lambs grazed on bluegrass and a little clover during the preliminary period of the 1928 experiment. Quality of Feeds. All the alfalfa hay used in the experiments was of good quality. The soybean hay was leafy and well cured. This and the soybeans interpl anted with the corn were of the Midwest variety. Practically all of the corn fed in dry lot in the first experi- ment graded No. 2. In the 1926, 1927, and 1928 experiments all but a small amount graded No. 4. The Illinois grown barley used in the 1928 test was very low grade, much of it infested with scab. 1 It averaged about 42 pounds to the bushel. The northern grown barley was very free of scab, of good quality and weighed 49 pounds per bushel. Field Feeding. When corn is left on the stalks and lambs are turned into the field, the method is referred to as field feeding or "lambing down" of corn. This method of feeding is often modified, and in these experiments included: (1) feeding in a field of corn in which soybeans had been interplanted ; (2) feeding in a field of corn and permitting a free run on adjacent alfalfa or mixed pasture; or (3) providing dry roughage when pasture was not available. Dry-Lot Feeding. The sheep confined in dry lot were fed a varie- ty of rations: (1) shelled corn and alfalfa hay; (2) shelled corn and soybean hay; (3) Illinois grown barley and alfalfa hay; (4) northern grown barley and alfalfa hay; and (5) Illinois grown barley, corn, and alfalfa hay. There are two methods of dry-lot feeding. Hand-feeding is more common and was used in all of the experiments. Self-feeding has not been practiced extensively in Illinois. In these tests the lambs were self-fed on: (1) shelled corn and alfalfa hay; (2) ground corn and ground alfalfa hay mixed; (3) ground Illinois barley and ground alfalfa mixed; and (4) ground corn, ground Illinois barley, and ground alfalfa hay mixed. 'Barley grown in Illinois is usually of better quality than that used in this test and would generally compare much more favorably with the northern grown barley. 1929] FATTENING WESTERN LAMBS 5 In dry lot, the grain and roughages were fed twice a day and were divided equally for the two feedings except when self-fed. In the latter case, grain was fed first, and as soon as it was eaten, rough- age was placed in the racks. The appetites of the lambs were the chief guide in feeding. Water and salt were always available in all lots. Straw was used as bedding for the lambs fed in dry lot. All the grain and roughages fed and all refused feeds were weighed separately for each lot of lambs. Weighing the Lambs. Individual weights of all lambs were taken on three consecutive days at the beginning of the experiments and at the close. The averages of these weights for each animal were taken as the initial and final weights respectively. Individual weights were taken also at the end of each 28-day period. Shelter Provided. All lambs fed in dry lot in the first three groups of experiments (1925, 1926, 1927) were fed in an open shed with a southern exposure. Small yards adjoined the sheds. None of the lambs fed in the fields in these years were provided with shelter altho at times the weather was severe. In the last group of experi- ments (1928) the sheds used had small yards on the east or west side but were not so open as those previously used. THE 1925 EXPERIMENTS The first group of experiments, carried on in 1925, was under- taken with three objects in view: (1) to compare rations of shelled corn and alfalfa hay with shelled corn and soybean hay fed in dry lot; (2) to compare "lambing down" of corn alone with field feeding of corn and soybeans interplanted ; (3) to compare "lambing down" of corn and soybeans with dry-lot feeding of shelled corn and soybean hay and also with shelled corn and alfalfa hay. The experiments extended from September 11 to December 14, a period of 95 days. During this time six lots of lambs were fed. Lots 1 and 2 were fed in dry lot, Lots 3 and 5 in the field, and Lots 4 and 6, having been fed in the field for 28 days, were put in dry lot for the remaining 67 days of the test. SHELLED CORN AND ALFALFA HAY COMPARED WITH SHELLED CORN AND SOYBEAN HAY Shelled Corn and Alfalfa Hay. The lambs of Lot 1 were fed shelled corn and alfalfa hay during the entire 95-day period in the dry lot. This ration has been used as a standard for comparisons in lamb-feeding work for a number of years, and it is expected that lambs receiving it will gain about one pound every three days. These lambs gained .32 pound per head daily, making a total gain of 30.8 pounds for the 95-day period (Table 1). Each lamb consumed on -. - " -- :.:. A anaffi l ClMI HIIIIIII - . . . ~ rm imi n TWO.. Man iT HOT* n OTX-.IIR. . IK i: IK - . M - . * L.T - - - + - - - . . . -iwai. - irewt wMgnq -to- -JH*M. jmrrat ^dte-*8inr nt n al -=artnn*-ii w-p 1C " i*" JL ' JE1 j 2R ftnvsL uwuir -^irrv^ - uniw -wei iitti'a. ui/nir nwm m '. ' : ' ; :.: L 338 . - " '"" ' ewer, in showing what gams in weght may be expected when lambs are fad under these B*^g X shelter was provided for the Iambs in the field, afohe. the season was rainy and eokL Shelled Car* ami Soybean Hay in Dry Lt Compared With Same ITitma m Field. The lambs in Lot 4 were fed a ration of shelled com mm* soybean hay in dry lot for 67 days after being removed from the field oTabte 1). Tfcese lambs made a little larger gain daring the 28 days m the field flam did those of Lot 3, and for the 95 days they averaged 6J3 pounds a bead more grin. Daring the 67 days that the lambs of Lot 4 were fed in dry lot they were given J94 pound more soybean hay a head daily than was given to the Lot 3 lambs in the field. Tfcey were abo fed L35 pounds of com a head daily daring this time. In shipping, tike lambs from Lot 3 averaged 1.7 pounds less shrink- age than those from Lot 4 fed in dry lot for a part of the time. How- ever, the dremmg percentages and the carcass grades for Lot 4 were mgher than for Lot 3. Alfalfa Hay as Sapplemeat to Cora Alone. The lambs in both Lots 5 and 6 woe in a field of corn alone for a period of 28 days, daring which time they made very fittie gain. After this period the lambs in Lot 5 woe left in the field and fed an average of J8 pound of alfalfa hay per head in addition to the corn which they gathered. The aitage dairy gams for the lambs in this lot were .15 pound for the first 28 days, J62 pound for the second 28 days and .29 pound for the last 39 days,, or an average of .34 pound for the entire 95 days of the test. The very marked increase in rate of gain for the second and third periods compared with that of the first period may be taken as showing the Tame of the supplementary faaffmg of alfalfa hay when lamhing-down corn alone. Similar gains were made by the lambs of Lot 6. which were handled, under CHmliiurd field and dry-lot feeding, aitbo the total gains for the field-fed lambs ILot 5) exceeded the gains made by those of Lot 6 by 4.1 pounds per lamb even tho the lambs in Lot 6, when in dry lot, woe fed twice as much alfalfa hay as those in Lot 5. More Soybean Hay Thaa Alfalfa Used as Supplement. Compari- sons between Lois 3 and 5 show that the cornfield alone supplemented afar the first 28 days with pound of alfalfa hay daily per lamb produced greater gains than corn and soybeans similarly supplemented with 1J02 pounds of soybean hay daily per lamb, after the first 28 days. In making tins comparison of the two labs fed in the fields, it m Mffrnnfd that both lots ate similar quantities of corn during the 99 days. Lambs fed in dry lot on corn and soybean hay after 28 days in * cornfield with soybeans interplanted (Lot 4), made greater gains .i i:- fed alfalfa hay m dry lot f Lot 6 .: Table 1 by Lot 2 with Lots 3 ml 4L It of gain a.: -- -i:.- ---__ :-,:- HBS DKESSCBG ^'TiHigl IBT ** 1 -": '? -1J1-T . '7 .' '-. \ ' .. ^ ..". _." _ - - _'"i ' -- .-. 7i-. - : fe P*~i> 2. 4 - __: -._>- THZ T...V -: .: . : :- .-I V-r.: 2 :: i . I'T'". "". (3) to oipu :::_ filii :.r :-: T 7 ----- :eei- : of 80 days. The t beeanae tkejr MB i of a . . ,. i .. __ .. . ^ ^ ' , - i i BH need in Lot 1 as the baa boohs il wfll be seem that t ^ &. '. .''--. ". '. _ .". : " -' 7*^ ' ~'i--'. '. weed was Bot cnrer KOL 4 0Dai attho ftt B too sb^kt to be < to* made only 14 ponds ? - , - 7. : : r.i : 10 No. 338 [October, average gain of the other 24 lambs from 27-8 pounds to 25.7 pounds when this lamb is included. The daily feed consumption and the feed per 100 pounds gain are almost identical with the corresponding figures in the 1925 ex- periment except in the case of hay. These figures on feed consump- tion are important because it is from them that the feeder may figure the probable cost of the gains in weight at any feed prices existing at a particular time. Corn and Legume Hay Self-Fed in Dry Lot. Twenty-five lambs in Lot 2 were hand-fed the same as Lot 1 for three weeks and then were put on a ration of shelled corn and alfalfa hay placed in two self-feeders: one for the com and another for the hav. This test of TABLE 2. COMPARISON OF FEEDS AND FEEDING METHODS ix FATTENING WESTERN LAMBS, SEPTEMBER 17 TO DECEMBER 6, 1926: 80 DATS :.. - : Lot 2 Lot3 Lot4 Lot5 nnf'llra com. 5.3 acres 1.62 acres Ration and Method of feeding _- x Etneueu corn, alfalfa hay hand-fed 80 days Shelled com. alfalfa hay hand-fed 21 days, self-fed 45 days' alfalfa hay hand-fed 21 days; ground corn, and alfalfa hay mixed self-fed 59 days com and soy- beans 28 days; corn and -Sib- alfalfa hay daily last 52 days corn and 15 acres alfalfa pasture 49 days; same cornfield and .6 Ib. alfalfa hay dauy last 31 days Aylat drytat **!* carmfM carmfdd M ber of Iambs* 25 12 25 50 47 Ha. Ac. Ac. a. ft. Avenge initial weight 63.3 63.4 63.8 63.5 63.9 Aimer frssl wnUbt 89.0 94.8 85.2 89.3 Gains Avenge gain.... 25.7O 31.00 21. 7O 25.50 .32 .... .39 .27 .32 ^Corn* 1.10 1.44 1 52 .... 1 90 Total feed per lamb Corn... 87.8 115.6 100. O* 94.8* Roughage 121.7 153.6 25 4* 18 3 s 4 1% | | - Feed for 100 pounds gain Cora 341 9 373 1 462 372 2 473.7 495 9 117 3 71 7 Weight in Chicago 82.0 89.6 82 2 85 9 7 O 5 2 3 O 3 4 50 2 48 3 49, 3 49 9 Carcass grades Number good carcasses 19 24 IK fc^ . 1 1 5 ~WW. MMMMrik 4 Cuureasses^ 1 >Owing to high death low in Lot 2. no figores are given. *Lots 1, 2, and 3 contained 25 lambs and Lota 4 and 5. 5O lambs each at the start ; these numbers are for the dose of the experiment. "Daily feed figures would not be significant in Lota 3, 4. and 5 as most of the corn was eaten in the last month of feeding. Till uliiliil In IB iiniiial aiiialan Imtmhtmn lanfullj i iiliinili il jiill >Tbese amounts were fed in the time ghren in heading. Vnknomnmmam^naivam^fffwaeeeauiHuued from the fidda. FATTENING WESTERN LAMBS 11 self-feeders was made because in many parts of the state experienced, competent labor is not available for lamb feeding, and while self- feeders are being used in certain sections of the country, the rations fed are different from the one used in this experiment. At the time the lambs were started on the self-feeders they were eating about .75 pound of corn daily. There was over a 50 percent death loss within a week from overeating. The remaining twelve lambs were continued on the self-feeder without any change for 45 days. During the 66 days, the entire time that these twelve lambs were on feed, they made an average gam of 24.6 pounds, or a daily gain of .37 pound. This result suggests that perhaps the chief diffi- culty in self-feeding lambs on shelled corn and alfalfa hay may be in starting them on the feed, since these Iambs did not show any ill effects of self-feeding after the first week. Rapid Gains on Mixed Ration Self-Fed in Dry Lot. After 21 days of hand-feeding, as in Lot 1, the lambs of Lot 3 were also put on a self-feeder. In this case the corn and alfalfa hay were ground and the two feeds mixed together and fed in the same proportion of corn to hay as was used in Lot 1. Because of the bulky ration there was no difficulty in Lot 3 from overeating. The gain in this lot was 20.6 percent higher than in Lot 1 for the same period. Likewise the total feed consumption and the feed required per 100 pounds gain were larger than for Lot 1 lambs. The lambs in Lot 3 ate 9.1 percent more corn and 4.03 percent more hay per 100 pounds gain. The greater feed consumption per 100 pounds gain may be explained partly by the higher finish of the Lot 3 lambs. These lambs gained an average of 5.3 pounds more than the lambs of Lot 1. FIELD FEEDING OF CORN AND SOYBEANS COMPARED WITH FREE RUN OF CORNFIELD AND ALFALFA PASTURE Small Gains in Field of Corn and Soybeans. Lots 4 and 5 were field fed. The lambs of Lot 4 were first turned into a field of approxi- mately 5.3 acres of corn interplanted with soybeans. There was a 45 to 50 percent stand of soybeans. The lambs were in this field 28 days, during which time they gained only 2.9 pounds per head, or .1 pound per day. This is a small gain, as the lambs in Lot 1 fed in dry lot gained over 7 pounds per head in the same time. The lambs had eaten all of the soybeans by the end of this 28-day period and they then were put hi 1.62 acres of corn. Since there were no soybeans in this field, the lambs were fed .5 pound of alfalfa hay a head each day in a rack in the field. The gain during the next 28-day period was 14.9 pounds per lamb. The total gain for the 80 days in this lot amounted to 21.7 pounds, 4 pounds less than the gam for the lambs of Lot 1 receiving the standard ration. 12 BULLETIN No. 338 [October, During the first 28 days that the Lot 4 lambs were in the larger field, they ate very little corn. The exact amount eaten could not be determined and is not included in the figures in Table 2 on feed con- sumption for this lot. The corn in the smaller field was all consumed three days before the close of the test. During these three days the lambs were fed shelled corn and the amounts included in the figures on feed consumption. These lambs required 462 pounds of corn per 100 pounds gain. This is 120 pounds more than for Lot 1. As an average, each lamb in the field ate 12 pounds more corn and gained 4 pounds less in weight than each lamb hand-fed in dry lot. Good Gains in Cornfield Adjoining Alfalfa. Lot 5 is one of the most interesting groups in the 1926 experiments. These lambs were put in a field of 1.62 acres of corn on September 17. There was no intercrop with the corn, but the lambs were allowed to run on an adjoining field of 15 acres of alfalfa until November 5. It would have been very inconvenient to remove the lambs of either Lot 4 or Lot 5 from the fields while they were getting ac- customed to the feeds. Contrary to what is usually advocated for the first week in starting lambs on feed, the Lot 5 lambs were not taken from the alfalfa after being turned on, but were permitted to pasture on it continuously from September 17 to November 5. In spite of pasturing wet and frozen alfalfa, there were only a few mild cases of bloat and no severe cases of scours. While pasturing on the alfalfa, the lambs ate practically no corn. During the first 28 days these lambs made an average gain of 12.1 pounds per lamb compared with 2.9 pounds per lamb in Lot 4 on corn and soybeans. The total gain for the 80 days was 25.5 pounds per lamb in Lot 5, practically the same as for the Lot 1 lambs fed in dry lot. As nearly as could be determined, each of these lambs ate 94.8 pounds of corn, including a small amount of shelled corn fed during the last few days as in Lot 4. The corn consumed per 100 pounds gain was 372.2 pounds, which includes the small amount wasted. This is 30.3 pounds more than was fed for 100 pounds gain in Lot 1. Because the lambs of Lot 5 harvested the major portion of their roughage, and alfalfa hay was fed only after the alfalfa pasture had been plowed under, the total alfalfa hay consumed per lamb was 18.3 pounds, and per 100 pounds gain was only 71.7 pounds. If all of the corn and alfalfa hay fed is charged to the lambs and the alfalfa pasture is not charged, the Lot 5 lambs were fed much more economically than any other lot. These lambs brought the same price per pound as the others and dressed practically the same 49.9 percent as compared with 50.2 percent for the lambs of Lot 1. The carcass grades may be taken as indicating the possibilities of securing a good "finish" with this type of feeding. 1929] FATTENING WESTERN LAMBS 13 THE 1927 EXPERIMENTS A third group of experiments was carried out in 1927 for the purpose of comparing: (1) a ration of shelled corn and alfalfa hay hand-fed with ground corn and ground alfalfa hay, self-fed, and (2) to compare field feeding on mixed pasture and in a cornfield with a hand-fed ration of corn and alfalfa in dry lot. Other experimental work at this time prevented the use of more than three lots of western range lambs in this project. Experimental feeding started on Septem- ber 23 and continued until December 17; thus the lambs were on feed for 85 days. SHELLED CORN AND ALFALFA HAY HAND-FED Twenty-five lambs, weighing 59.0 pounds, were used in Lot 1 and were hand-fed shelled corn and alfalfa 'hay. These lambs were good feeders, eating on an average 1.2 pounds of corn and 1.7 pounds of alfalfa hay daily. This is a larger daily consumption than was shown in either of the two previous trials and is reflected in the larger gain in weight made by these lambs (Table 3). Each lamb gained 32.2 pounds in the 85-day period, which represents a daily gain of .38 pound. These lambs were fed 308.8 pounds of shelled corn and 435.7 pounds of alfalfa hay for each 100 pounds gain in weight. This lot of lambs made rapid and economical gains in so far as pounds of feed per 100 pounds gain is concerned, requiring less corn and hay than similar lots in the 1925 and 1926 trials. The average dressing percentage of the lambs in this lot when slaughtered in Chicago, was 51.2. Exce.pt for the fact that some of the carcasses were too heavy, they were a satisfactory lot. GROUND CORN AND GROUND ALFALFA HAY SELF-FED The results secured in Lot 2 are unusual in several respects. The 24 lambs in this lot were hand-fed for five days at the start. This was necessary because the construction of the self-feeder was delayed. They were then self-fed ground corn and ground alfalfa hay for 80 days. The proportion of corn to hay was as nearly the same as the proportion fed in Lot 1 as was possible. This reduced the differences in the two lots to the uncontrollable differences in the lambs them- selves and to the difference in the way the rations were fed. The lambs on the self-feeder ate .09 pound more corn and .17 pound more hay daily than the hand-fed lambs. They also gained .05 pound more each day, which amounted to 4.1 pounds more for the 85 days. The fact that the self-fed lambs each weighed a little over 5 pounds more than the lambs of Lot 1 in Chicago and dressed a like percentage shows that the greater feed-lot gain was due not to extra "fill" but to actual body weight. - : s*. - 1C 1C is LX LI - . -- - . . a. :rr k* v - - - . *rftMt*r : . i.::,: : :, ::.. -..- - .. . Umts ". : 7. - ; ~: : . . - - v- : -. :.: :- . TLff rsL' :: :.~~ r ".:>- -inno?.: " "_i 1 :.:..." :. . -: -I A0e 7 -frrr-r V ; - . - L 2 -'IT, T 3nir"' "':- :.- Com- lKJI 2 ::r 1: croern l.:r I :-- - -" ' ' "'- - ' " ".IH n* .,.,. :: r:7. . . .- . - - .. ' btfBft and. metiuwt n fnmin* haj.TTIi 25. bt. - , fa. : .7 _ la. mr - .7 - r .15 _-- ._ _' - ...'* ,, : . 1 i 1 -, : ' _ ' a . .- - j '-iSuxnnezs "CSET TJ anrrm ramjne^m^ .LOU : in ^fuiiu SKnHV^ns^&tK -mrim^ ^ '- tni ::. or Lot* 4 mil i it .me amn rrrm ..rt i OT nra , .,.-- v" 18 BULLETIN No. 338 [October, Alfalfa hay was the roughage fed in both cases. Altho the barley was of low grade, much of it being infested with scab, and weighed about 42 pounds a bushel, it did not prove unpalatable to the lambs. Lambs hand-fed on this whole barley gained only 1.5 pounds less per head during the 80-day period than the lambs of Lot 1 fed shelled corn. The two lots did not vary much in the amounts of grain and hay eaten, altho the barley-fed lambs ate 38 pounds more barley and 42 pounds more hay per 100 pounds gain than the corn-fed lambs. The finish on the barley-fed lambs was not so firm as on the corn-fed lambs, and the barley-fed lambs shrank more in shipping. Little dif- ference in other respects was noted between the two lots. NORTHERN BARLEY LITTLE BETTER THAN ILLINOIS A comparison between good quality northern-grown barley weigh- ing 49 pounds per bushel and the Illinois barley was made with the lambs of Lots 3 and 4. The lambs of Lot 4 fed the good barley gained only .1 pound, or 4.7 percent, more per head in the 80 days and ate 2.9 percent more barley and 2.9 percent more hay than the lambs of Lot 3. There was little difference in the amounts consumed per 100 pounds gain in the two lots. Apparently there was little difference in the gain-producing value of the low-grade barley and the good barley when fed with alfalfa hay, altho the good barley produced a firmer finish and the lambs lost less in shipping. The barley was fed whole to both lots of lambs. HAND- AND SELF-FEEDING WITH AND WITHOUT BARLEY Self-Feeding With Barley Compared With Corn. A further com- parison of Illinois grown barley and corn was made. The lambs in Lot 5 were self-fed on a mixture of ground Illinois barley and ground alfalfa hay. Thus Lots 2 and 5 afforded a direct comparison between corn and barley and Lots 3 and 5 a comparison of the two methods of feeding barley and alfalfa hay. There was practically no difference in rate of gain, feed consumed, or feed required per 100 pounds of gain for the two self- fed lots (Table 4) . It would seem that good re- sults are possible with low-grade barley when a liberal amount of good alfalfa hay is fed. The results in both Lots 3 and 5 bear out this statement, altho the average gain per lamb of Lot 5, self-fed, was 26 percent greater than that for the lambs of Lot 3, hand-fed. The self- fed lambs ate 16 pounds less barley but 15 pounds more alfalfa hay per 100 pounds gain in weight than the hand-fed lambs. The shrink- age in the lambs of Lot 5 during shipment was excessive, amounting to 7.2 pounds per head. The lambs of Lot 3 also showed a big shrink- age but dressed higher than those of Lot 5. Mixed Grain Self -Fed. In planning the experiment it was thought that the scabby barley might be unpalatable to the lambs and that 1929] FATTENING WESTERN LAMBS 19 they might eat it more readily and do better if it was mixed with corn. Lot 6 was included for this reason. The ration consisted of a mixture of equal parts, by weight, of ground Illinois barley and ground corn self-fed when mixed with ground alfalfa hay. The results show, however, that the lambs did not gain as well as when barley or corn was self-fed with alfalfa hay. The lambs in Lot 6 did not eat as much feed as did those in either of the other self-fed lots and gained but little more than the lambs that were hand-fed. This poor showing was due largely to the low gains made by three lambs, and there is no apparent reason to expect a mixture of two feeds to produce lower gains than the poorer one alone. The lambs fed both corn and scabby barley shrank less in shipping than did those in any of the other lots except Lot 4. The slaughter data show a high percentage of strong and heavy- weight carcasses in all lots. However, when these lambs were sold there was but slight discrimination against the heavier lambs. Lambs somewhat lighter than those of Lot 2 especially are usually preferred. FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS No financial tables are included in this bulletin, as data from ex- perimental projects such as these are of value to the lamb feeder only when he interprets the results in accordance with his own conditions. The data given herein are useful in showing what may be expected under similar conditions of feeding. The cost of feeding a lamb and the cost per 100 pounds gain are easily calculated from the data on feed consumption, using any prevailing prices for feeds. It may be of interest to feeders to know, however, that the lambs used in the 1925 tests cost $15.60 per hundredweight in Chicago and all lots sold for $16.15. In 1926 the corresponding figures were $14.75 and $13.25. In 1927 the cost per hundredweight was $13.75. Lot 1 sold for $13.00, Lot 2 for $12.75 and Lot 3 for $13.25. While Lots 1 and 2 were better finished than Lot 3 they w r ere too heavy when marketed. In the 1928 experiments the lambs cost $14.00 per hundred- weight in Chicago and all lots sold for $17.25 altho Lots 1, 3 and 4 were valued previous to shipping at 15 cents per hundredweight less than the lambs of Lots 2, 5, and 6. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Alfalfa Hay Compared With Soybean Hay. Compared with al- falfa hay, soybean hay was less efficient pound for pound when fed with shelled corn in dry lot. Taking two previous comparisons (see Bulletin 260 of this Station) and the 1925 experiments into considera- tion, the lamb feeder might expect to secure approximately the same 20 BULLETIN No. 338 gain on western lambs from either roughage, but because of the greater amount of refuse in the soybean hay he would need to feed about 15 percent more of it than of alfalfa hay to get similar results. Self-Feeding Compared With Hand-Feeding. Self-feeding west- ern lambs on shelled corn and alfalfa hay resulted in a very high loss of lambs. It was difficult to start the lambs on such a ration when self-fed, and unless lambs can be kept from overeating, this method of feeding is likely to be accompanied with heavy losses. Self-feeding on a mixture of ground corn and ground alfalfa hay, however, proved to be a safe method of feeding, resulting in more rapid gains and better finished carcasses than hand-feeding on shelled corn and alfalfa hay. The feed required per 100 pounds gain was greater in the self-fed lots. As an average for the three experiments in which this comparison was made, the hand- fed lambs required 347 pounds of shelled corn and 457 pounds of alfalfa hay for 100 pounds gain, and the self-fed lambs required 361 pounds of ground corn and 483 pounds of ground alfalfa hay. Ground barley and ground alfalfa hay mixed and self-fed may be expected to produce faster gains than whole barley and alfalfa hay hand-fed, altho the feed required per 100 pounds gain is apt to be less when lambs are hand-fed for the same length of time. Barley Compared With Corn. Altho only based on one test it may be said that Illinois grown barley of poor quality, hand-fed whole or self-fed ground and mixed with ground alfalfa hay was palatable to lambs. Lambs fed Illinois barley were softer fleshed, made slower gains, and had a higher feed requirement per 100 pounds gain than lambs fed corn. There was little difference between the Illinois barley and northern barley. Field Feeding. Corn alone is not satisfactory for field feeding west- ern lambs. Soybeans planted in the corn, an adjoining pasture of alfal- fa, a mixed pasture, or dry legume roughages fed to lambs in cornfields proved satisfactory supplements. Field feeding in this way may be expected to produce gains somewhat below the gains secured in dry-lot feeding on corn and alfalfa hay. Almost as good gains were secured by "lambing down" corn when the corn was supplemented with legume hays as were obtained by field feeding during the early part of the feeding period and then finishing in dry lot on shelled corn and alfalfa hay or shelled corn and soybean hay. Death losses in field feeding are likely to be greater than in dry-lot feeding. Individual differences in lambs, variations in climate and in avail- able feeds, and changes in these factors within a locality from year to year make each lot of lambs a special problem which must be studied as feeding operations are being planned. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA