MAINTENANCE RATION FOR OXEN 245 



SUFFICIENT FOOD. 

 Digestible nutrients. Addition (+) 



Average 0-59 0-20 6-68 5-20 +59 +184 



When the figures for the animals which were in- 

 sufficiently fed are compared with those obtained 

 when the food was sufficient, it is seen that the 

 sum of the digestible nutrients had less influence 

 upon the equilibrium of the animal than had the 

 starch equivalents or values of the whole rations. 

 Thus in a maintenance diet attention has also to 

 be paid to the value of the nutrients. If, for ex- 

 ample, the ration given to ox A, which consisted 

 of 8-5 kg. meadow hay, were replaced to the extent 

 of one-half by potatoes and rape cake, then, instead 

 of 7 kg. digestible nitrogen-free nutrients (including 

 fat), there would only have been 6 kg., but this 

 would have sufficed. 



For full-grown oxen which have not to perform 

 work and are kept at a temperature of 54-60 F., 

 it suffices for maintenance to give 0-5 kg. digestible 

 protein, and 5-2 kg. starch equivalent. As, how- 

 ever, in practice it is not advisable, owing to the 

 individuality of the animals, to restrict the feeding 

 to the absolute minimum, it is preferable to reckon 



