284 SCIENTIFIC FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



food has greater productive value. Investiga- 

 tions carried on from several standpoints have, 

 however, taught that the metabolism in the young 

 body is at least as much and perhaps more than 

 when growth has ceased, but that the protein and 

 mineral substances in excess of maintenance re- 

 quirements can be utilised to a much greater extent 

 for the development of the growing organs. The 

 complete investigations of the daily income and 

 output of a 2-3 weeks old sucking-calf weighing 

 50 kg. gave the following : 



The daily increase was thus 925 g., of which 

 379 were d rv matter and 566 g. water. Only 

 very small quantities of the ingested milk passed 

 into the faeces, and of the digested proteins 72-6% 

 were stored in the body, and only 27-4% were 

 decomposed. Thus it is seen that the growing 

 animal possesses an extraordinary power of in- 

 corporating the proteins which are offered to it, 



