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adequate bulk, protein, and minerals and still reduce feeding costs.

It normally takes ewes 3 to 4 hours to eat enough long hay to meet their nutrient requirements, but when fed a 40 percent corn-60 percent hay ration, they can consume enough feed to meet their requirements in 20 to 30 minutes. The reduced time for feeding is particularly advantageous when feeding three or four different groups of ewes per day with one common feed bunk. To prevent esophageal choke, the corn should be mixed with the hay (or spread on top of long hay) to prevent too-rapid consumption. Also, hay must be of good quality with 15 to 18 percent protein so that protein and calcium deficiencies do not develop.

The composition of two important sheep feedstuffs, corn silage and haylage, are on a DM basis, but these feedstuffs contain 40 to 70 percent moisture on an as-fed basis. To compare the ''as-fed" nutrient content of silage or haylage with the values presented in Table 13, multiply those values by the DM content in the silage or haylage being fed. Corn silage with 70 percent TDN, on a DM basis, × 35 percent DM contains 24.5 percent TDN on an as-fed basis. Haylage with 56 percent TDN, on a DM basis, × 50 percent DM contains 28 percent TDN on an as-fed basis.

There are numerous feedstuffs that can be used as ration alternatives to the conventional legume hay-grain feedstuffs generally used by producers. These include many grain, vegetable, fruit, and food industry by-products as well as damaged grains and roughages. The major consideration in using alternative feedstuffs is their cost relative to more conventional feeds. Frequent use of alternative feedstuffs requires careful attention to correcting whatever nutrient deficiencies may exist.