CHAPTER II 



MAINTENANCE RATION FOR OXEN AT REST 



THE feeding of working oxen at rest in the 

 stall is the simplest of the tasks which 

 the owner of cattle has to undertake. The 

 animals to be dealt with are practically sexless, 

 little subject to nervous influences, and except for 

 the slight growth of hair, hoofs and horns, do not 

 increase in size, nor do they perform any utilisable 

 work. The chief aim, then, is to feed such resting 

 animals so that the body does not need to supply 

 any of its substance for the production of energy, 

 and that, on the other hand, there shall be no excess 

 of food to be made into body fat. 



According to some of the older observations 

 which were confined to the digestible nutrients of 

 the food and the protein metabolism, it was possible 

 to keep oxen at rest in the stall on the following 

 daily rations, calculated per 1000 Ibs. live weight, 

 without loss of weight. 



1. 12-6 Ibs. oat straw 



2. 14-2 ,, 



3- I3'0 



4- I3-3 n rye straw 



25-6 Ibs. mangels 

 2-6 ,, clover hay 

 37 ,, 



3-8 

 243 



i-olb. rape cake 



o- 



o-6 



