CHAPTER V 



THE FEEDING OF WORKING ANIMALS 



IF a comparison is made between the kind of 

 nutrients and the production of fat or energy 

 in the domestic animals no fundamental difference 

 is to be found. Just as the body fat (p. 77) is 

 derived principally from the carbohydrates of the 

 food, so it is with the muscular energy (p. 107). 

 Fat also plays a considerable part, but the proteins 

 have only a very limited share in the process; in 

 fact, neither in the production of fat nor of energy 

 from nitrogen-free substances are they of great 

 importance. From this it follows that it is not 

 necessary under ordinary circumstances to give 

 working animals very large quantities of protein. 

 It is sufficient, as it also is with fattening animals, 

 to let the supply of protein be such that the com- 

 plete digestion of the food is assured (p. 39), and for 

 this an albuminoid ratio of i : 8-10 is enough. 

 Exceptions to this are such animals as have not 

 yet completed their growth and those which have 

 to perform a lot of work in a short space of time. 



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