ARTIFICIAL FEEDING OF SHEEP.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1062, 27 February 1911, Page 8

ARTIFICIAL FEEDING OF SHEEP.

ft',-..-.^(; r ,':;:'--. ' ' " FOR'WOOL OR MUTTON. . . j> ! . - ; ;3'he artificial feeding of sheep is afacf' . tot Jn breeding either for wool or for tnntjr);. ~"'• ...tori: that has:never received dno considerf;?;" .o'ti'on except' foj' show purposes (says i; : -v<'"iiiha" 'ini'th'e -Sydney' "Telegraph."). ' question arises, he says: "What cfs?V'"feot will ensilago or any other artificial |: ~,fodder have on.the,growth of tho fleece, f *,', Uiul on the sheep-as a wuolo? To answer £;; 'this it will be necessary to divide.tbe fodf;.'- -:defs into three classes:-.-(l) green, (2) dry, jjy'i-'-J'tfnil (3) preserved (between the two). (1) f : '': En jlish grasses must take first rauk for f. :;;., influencing the growth of wool to tho best p-\ '-'"'advantage, provided tho grasses aro of tho ?.'.''. -. kiqd usually found in tho Tasmnnian and S. .' .Victorian sheep pastures. These consist »■•■;;■'- incimly of cocksfoot, perennial rye-grassi k " ,*me.uioiv- foxtail, trefoil, '* lAlsiko - clover, :;•• Ticiothy, and one or two others.. All i'.'. closers tend to produco fat, and tho nnejl v- lea,ved grassed a good quality, -of- wool. (;••:'.: Thus, i{: breeding for wool mainly the Si .preponderance must bo of the fine-leaved i; -'grasses, if for mutton that of clovers and j ' ; '-': grtiises 'of coarser textures." If 6izo and v. •"-, caroass is tho aim then thcro.is nothing p';' to "(beat-lucerne. - But caro has to -be ' ; ''.taken in feeding this, plant in a green $>; v ;,6taie.. It must not bo too.wot, otherwise [•;.'■.- --it j'produces iconiplicatibns ! in tho ..sheep, [i-i soirictimes of a dang'erous.nature. .-'ln ah. «': 'ordinary state, it "jowesi and- their lambs P \ ■'■'. are : put, on:' it;soon' after tho -lambs are f':> '■•■ born,. and there for eight or ten [-•■• weeks, tho effect is truly.great. Not only C,'.' 7 ',''- doe* tho »wenave a large supply, of -.milk? ,vi> '•-. butthe,lamb grows to a great sizo.\ -At Vithej'sanie tithe.it is advisable, to "havo a [;"• '.>■ Tatiety of. food irt s the'-'pa(ldoek,"and'this \.'•, i canlW obtained by sowing patches.with i. % '..prairie" grass :«nd> r,rt grass...•• Tho reason I '.. whj' it is not.advisableto keep sheep more .. ■■■' -th, an .eight or ten weeks on green luccrho y r .-'.is,that this plant has tho tendency '.to !•-.•'; Hnci-case;tho flow of yolk, and force it ;>s 7 'abnormally. into th'o,ce,llß of, tho fibp, V;s • -ivitli .the result that the "waves'.' in the \l- ' latter.become spread .out,.the silkihess is :>.;' lessened, and the, quality,,"naturally,' rc- >!•' duoid: .-'-:ri- ■ -.{\ ..,.•..,:....- -..i'-.i:. e ;,-• In feeding hay, the effect on tho rrowth 'of,the fleece;aud on tho carcass, depends " : '-.upoi'tho quantity given, and on its nai"'rU'tnrr'; and quality. For ordinary feeding •j:- V ':, purposes,' in" a time of drought; the ■ best '*$.-. iimls .are English grasses, oaten and u'rU'fheaten, followed by.clovers and lucerne. ..i-iifOf 'the,|irst-Timothy arid, wood meadow >'">; gfass aro' the sweetest, arid if given in )-V Moderation, sny, 21b. per day, with ocea- ■ J- v eibrill green fecd,,n"little. bran occasjon- ■>;' ally." and .Bweet and. clean water, , tho ij: •quality, of the much bene■^YKfited...lt.is.ribt a good thing to chaff fod- ; .K.ders.'.as they, as a rule, contain a good /•;., ; d?al'6f dnsty matteif, and-this is apt. to ; ",'iget^into the sheep's throat," and produco ;- v '--';' fcontthing.. and the slightest check -to the ;; .health always is reflected, on tho fleece. !;K;, For-practically tho same reason hay "; always be green in colour wben :' ','iii ,tho etack.- For feeding for mutton ' •■•tho j quantity can ba. increased, or roots rvt.-;- can;DO.added,to the ration of bay. , -;"v."'.'-' Conserved'fodders, which inclucq cnsil- '}±. age.Vrid sweated hay,'have a varying effect ~'" on tae.fleece'and the carcass. In Riverina' ,v!.'i thejriehtess'and sweetness.of crowsfoot F■.(•';'«haw;been proved many':times,' - and solas proportion tho'millet; found on pi*•■;the/ Liverpool Plains and north-western ii.vi;country. - Tho only difference, in their .'I-, conversion-into ensilage as compared with' r t V;" artificial grasses is-that they should bo :»,;•, cut'.when, in ; full bloom,. and'.first thing; ■','f}.in tip mornirij?. no time being lost between ; H "cutting arid' grcAtest ben?■i:A fitiobtained. from ensilage' is after it has %>'■■, folly ripened, tho time- for. this ranging' Si'; from;'l2 to 18 months, according to tho ,*-!;■ •,'riaturo of tho. fodder, and tho methods •v;< adopted in making.. Thero 'arc! as is. )'.-.; kriovm, two kinds of ensilage—sweet and , : -- 6onr. Both are good, but for wool pnr-';--j posest; the "sweet is preferable, "In feed- ' n R iensilage:caro must bo taken ,ta cut Cf oufc.bf the stack only as much as is re- -,;' quiri-d ; for the day -for- when exposed :Vi. lo tho air for any trmo abovo 24 hours ,7. it .bticomes unfit for food. Experiments v. hive.proved that ensilago keeps up - a {' ;'' good supply of yojk, not too much; thus f .;■ -:its effect on tho fleece must'bo beneficial. h7-'.;. Fori mutton, purposes tho quantity given ¥:•",'■:. -cari<ie increased, but a richer diet shou!' k.'j, -''-j addition..,; Ensilago mado offe:;,maize or sorghum when in full bloom are L-?.*,''sufficiently rich in -themselves.