| Show TO IL T A N ewa JAPANESE MILLET IMPERFECT FEED experiments show it to be inferior to timothy hay flay made from japanese or barn yard millet sometimes called billion dollar grass la Is regarded as inferior to timothy hay as a food for sheep while few data of an experimental nature are available showing the value of this roughage for sheep the above statement as to its merits in comparison with timothy and it a general discussion of timothy hay bay as a roughage for sheep will permit of some deductions says D S bell of the ohio experiment peri ment station in practically all experiments which have been conducted timothy tiny hay has been found a very inferior roughage for sheep feeding at the college of agriculture university of alberta alberta canada ewes fed timothy timotny tiny hay yeaned lambs one half of which died before they reached the age of twenty eight days not only was the loss of nursing lambs heavy but the ewes lost 78 pounds each in weight during gestation alon this lot of ewes was compared with another lot of bf similar ewes fed alfalfa hay this alfalfa fed lot raised all odthe lambs yeaned and the ewes were vere thrifty and vigorous in bulletin of the missouri agricultural experiment station in found this state statement mint concerning timothy hay is as a roughage for pregnant and nursing ewes timothy hay proved to be such an inferior ration that it was not continued the second year the data presented show that the ewes fed timothy hay and grain yeaned 17 lambs five of which were weak at birth and one born dead the ewes lost an average of pounds during the trial ewes fed clover hay buy and grain yeaned 10 16 lambs all of which were alive and strong at birth and these clover hay fed ewes gained pounds each during vie te test with japanese millet ranking inferior to timothy hay bay its as a roughage and with timothy giving such poor results little can be said in favor of the millet in question the sheep ralser raiser who Is striving for efficiency and economy my of production pr 0 will do well not to use such tiny hay for his ewe flock if it seems desirable des anble to grow millet for hay one of the foxtail groups german hungarian or common would be more desirable and even these are not meritorious to any extent |
