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Missouri Agricultural Report. 



one of which is the laxative effect of the food given the pregnant female. 

 Not only is she the provider of food, but her body is the guardian and 

 protector of the unborn young. Any cause that may result in a dis- 

 arrangement of her body will probably result in the death or serious in- 

 jury to the young. A food that constipates a pregnant sow will cause 

 a w^eak, sickly litter. Not only must the food be laxative, but the sow 

 must take enough exercise to insure the proper passage from her body 

 of all refuse feed stuff in the farm of feces. This is such an important 

 factor that it may mean the success or failure of the litter, for a sow 

 that does not have, during pregnancy, a free passage of waste matter, 

 icannot produce a strong, healthy litter. 



The question of the bulk of the feed is often of great importance, 

 especially in the feeding of brood sows. The appetite of any animal is 

 not satisfied until the stomach is full. A food that is very concentrated, 

 such as the grains, etc., contains so much nutritive value that feeding so 

 as to satisfy the hunger on such feeds results in the brood sow getting 

 very fat. As it is not desirable to have this occur, the only way to pre- 

 vent this, and at the same time satisfy the appetite of the sow, is to 

 feed a more bulky ration. This is very easily accomplished during the 

 grass season w^hen pasture is available, but in winter it requires the 

 feeding of more than the very concentrated grains or feeding stuffs. 



The following table of the composition of the more connnon feeds on 

 the farm represents the different properties desired for feeding stock. 

 The muscle and bone forming elements are represented by the protein 

 and ash contents, respectively, the energy and fat producing elements by 

 the starch and fat content, while the bulk is represented by the crude 

 fiber and water content. 



In studying this table the fact should be borne in mind that it is the 

 proportion of ash and protein to starch and fat that determines the 

 nutritive ratio instead of the actual per cent, of each nutrient. While 

 the laxative effect cannot be reduced to figures, the relative power is w:ell 



