ANIMAL TRODUCTION. 



687 



Tliat tlu' rations were practieally Hullicient for maintenance i.s sliown l>y the ssniall 

 variation in live weight during the 79 days covered l)y the actual experimental and 

 intervening periods and also by the figures for the gain or loss of nitrogen. These 

 values have been sunnnarized in the tal)le which follows: 



Arfrn'ic (jd'ni or loss of uitrofjiii ami live xxiijld. 



A vt'rago daily gain or loss of nitrogen 



Nitriigcii in daily growtli of wool 



AvcragL' daily gain or loss of nitrogen of Hesh 

 Aveiagc daily gain or loss of live weight 



Grains. 



-0.17 



.M 



- .»l 



-1 



Sheep 1. Sheep 2. 



(Trdinii. 



+0.17 



.64 



- .•17 



+ 13 



Sheep 3. 



Grams. 

 +0.07 

 .48 

 - .41 



"The above figures show that if it is considered tlmt there was no change in the 

 average body fat of the animals during the test, the assumption [that the rations 

 were sufhcient] can not be far from the truth." 



The author's summary of the digestible protein and non-nitrogenous material fur- 

 nished by the rations which, as already stated, were considered as sutiicient for main- 

 tenance follows: 



Summary of maintenance rations. 



Sheep 1 

 and 2. 

 Average 

 weight, 

 46.4 kg. 



Sheep 3. 



Actual 

 weight, 

 29.2 kg. 



Calcula- 

 ted for 



weight of 

 46.4 kg. 



Hay alone: 



1 ligcstiVjle protein 



Digestible non-nitrogenous matter. 



Total digestible organic matter . . 



Hay and corn (2 : 1): 



Higcstililc protein 



Digestible non-nitrogenous matter. 



Total digestible organic matter . . 



Hay and corn (1 : 2i: 



Digestible protein 



Digestible non-nitrogenous matter. 



Total digestible organic matter . 



Average: 



Digestible protein 



Digestible non-nitrogenous matter. 



Total digestible organic matter . . 

 Niilritive ratio 



Grams. 



32.7 



479.8 



34.5 



558. 6 



593.1 



38.1 

 535. 7 



3.5.1 

 523. 7 



558. 8 

 1:15 



Grams. 

 20. 6 

 385. 8 



23.6 

 360 



383.6 



22. 4 

 334.4 



22. 2 

 360.1 



382. 3 

 1:16 



Grams. 



28.2 

 656.8 



585. 



32.3 

 493. 2 



30.7 

 458.1 



30.4 

 502.7 



533.1 

 1:16 



From these figures the author concludes that a sheep requires for maintenance, 

 IM'r 50 kg. shorn weight, 37 gm. digestible protein and 538 gra. digestible nitrogen- 

 free mitrients, the starch value of the ration being 596 gm. In discussing the max- 

 imum amount of protein required, he states that "when on hay alone, the 3 sheep 

 receiveil on the average 23.9 gm. of digestible protein. But it was not sufficient 

 and the sheep drew' on their bodies for 7.3 gm. more of protein, making the total 

 needed by the body 31.2 gm. per day. When eating hay and one-third corn, they 

 digested 32.4 gm. and had to call on their bodies for but 1.4 gm., a total of 33.8 

 gm. When given a liberal ration of hay and two-thirds corn, they found that 39.8 

 gm. of protein were more than they needed and they stored up 4.2 gm. in the body, 

 leaving 35.6 gm. as the daily need of the system. These 3 sets of results are very 

 close and while they show, as they ought to, that the animals were a little more 



