1906,] FEEDING FARM ANIMALS. 243 



10. Pregnant animals should be maintained in a good con- 

 dition of flesh. 



11. When animals are exposed to temperatures below 

 what is normal, additional food proportioned to the degree of 

 the exposure will be necessary to restore animal heat. 



12. Discomfort from any source arrests development and 

 consequently produces loss in proportion to the degree and. 

 continuity of the same. 



Quality when applied to farm animals is comprehensive or 

 otherwise as the term is defined. More commonly it has refer- 

 ence to handling the skin and flesh, especially of cattle. When 

 thus applied it has reference mainly to the sensation conveyed 

 to the mind through the sense of touch. Its presence is usu- 

 ally sought by touching certain portions of the body with the 

 finger tips to ascertain the depth of the covering, and by grasp- 

 ing the skin over the ribs within the hand to ascertain its loose- 

 ness and flexibility. A good depth of elastic flesh relatively 

 over the portions that are more difficult to cover, as the loin 

 and shoulder blade, and loose, pliant skin are indicative of 

 good digestive qualities as they are the outcome of these. 



As used here, however, quality is used in a wider sense, 

 that is to say, in the sense of capacity for well doing as indi- 

 cated by the breeding and form in addition to the handling. 

 The breeding of animals has, of course, an important influence 

 on their feeding qualities. As a rule, well chosen, pure bred 

 animals of the beef breeds will make greater gains and more 

 rapid gains from a given amount of food than will common 

 stock of mixed and inferior breeding, or than animals of the 

 various dairy breeds. This statement has been denied, and 

 some of the experiments conducted by the experiment stations 

 would seem to favor such denial. Other experiments tend to 

 sustain the opposite view. Of the correctness of the stand taken, 

 however, I have not the shadow of a doubt. Good digestive 

 and assimilative qualities are as much a matter of transmission 

 as qualities or properties that relate to form. 



The possession of correct form is, of course, immensely 

 important. The precise nature of such form will be largely 

 dependent on the precise object for which the animals are 

 reared. In meat-making animals it usually means much rela- 

 tive width and depth, and fore and hind quarters well balanced 

 as to weight. In milk giving animals it means much capacity 



