CATTLE FEEDING. 159 



All niileh cows should have salt mixed with their fodder. It acts 

 upon the circulation of the nutritive matters in the bod^', increases 

 the changes of the albuminoids, and also stimulates the appetite. 

 Prof. Arnold cites the fact that cows which had not received any salt 

 for five days (in June) gave 2 per cent, less milk, and the quality 

 fell 7 per cent. From 15 to 30 grammes (232 to 465 grains) of salt 

 per day is sufficient. 



Production of Fat Meat. Fattening ok CArri.E. 



If animals are already in good condition when the process of fat- 

 tening is undertaken, it has been found that fat is accumulated in a 

 ten times larger quantity than flesh ; if the animal is thin, flesh is at 

 first accumulated in somewhat larger proportion than it is in stock 

 in good condition. 



Oxen in poor condition are not easily fattened, and a preparatory 

 ration must be given them for two or three weeks before the actual 

 process of fattening commences. In this preparatory feeding is 

 given for every 500 kilogrammes (1100 lbs.) of live weight, 1.250 

 kilos (2.75 lbs.) of albuminoids, and 6.250 kilos (13.75 lbs.) of 

 carbohydrates, the nutritive relation being 1:5. 



The true process of fattening begins when the animals have been 

 put in good condition by the above-mentioned ration. The quantity 

 of carbohydrates is now increased to 8.125 kilos (17.875 lbs.) , while 

 the quantity of albuminoids remains unchanged ; the nutritive rela- 

 tion becomes 1:6^. In this way the transformation of albuminoids 

 is lessened and a part of them accumulated, while the fat existing 

 in the fodder and that derived from the albuminoids therein is pro- 

 tected against oxidation. When considerable fat, as well as some 

 flesh has been accumulated, the process of fattening being then 

 about one-third through, the proportion of albuminoids in the fodder 

 is increased from 1.250 kilos (2.75 lbs.) to 1.500 kilos (3.3 lbs.), 

 thus giving a nutritive relation of 1:5^. This gives us more mate- 

 rial in the fodder from which fat maj^ be formed, while there is but 

 little danger of the destruction of albumin in the body, owing to the 

 fact that fat organisms prevent the rapid transformation of albumin- 

 oids ; at the same time it must be remembered that fat is deposited 

 wath more difficulty in an animal which has already accumulated 

 considerable of it. This is the ration upon which the fattening pro- 

 cess mostly depends, and it must be continued without change for 

 some length of time. 



