174 ELEMENTS OF FARM PRACTICE 



and amounts of feed. So the intelligent feeding of animals 

 requires a knowledge of the composition of different feeds 

 and of the requirements of the various classes of animals 

 doing different kinds and amounts of work. 



Kinds. — Feeds are of two general classes, roughage and 

 concentrates. Roughage includes all bulky feeds as hay, 

 fodder, straw and silage. Concentrates include all the grains 

 and mill feeds, such as oats, bran, corn and oil meal. 



Composition. — Feeds are generally divided, according 

 to the elements they contain, into the following classes: 



Protein is a term applied to a group of compounds con- 

 taining nitrogen. Protein is used by animals to make 

 muscle or lean flesh, bone, hair or wool, tendons, nerves, 

 casein and albumin in milk, etc. No other compound can 

 take the place of protein; consequently it is very important 

 that enough be fed, or the animal cannot keep up in flesh 

 and production or work. If too much protein is fed, it 

 can replace the other elements; but as these feeds are usually 

 expensive, it is not wise to feed more than is needed. 



Feeds containing a large proportion of protein, as bran, 

 oil meal, clover, etc., are called nitrogenous feeds. 



Carbohydrates are those substances in feed that are oom- 

 posed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, but have no nitro- 

 gen. Sugar, starch, fibre, etc., are carbohydrates. They 

 are used in the body to produce fat, or are burned in the 

 body to produce heat or energy. They cannot be used in 

 place of protein. 



Fat. — The oils, wax and fats contained in feeds are 

 called fat. It is used in the animal body for the same pur- 

 pose as carbohydrates. One pound of fat is worth as much 

 as 2.2 pounds of carbohydrates. 



Feeds containing a large proportion of carbohydrates 

 and fat, as timothy or wild hay, corn, barley, etc., are called 

 non-nitrogenous feeds. 



Ash. — Plants contain some mineral matter, a small 

 amount of which is necessary in animal bodies, as iron in 

 the blood and calcium in the bones. 



All the common feeds contain protein, carbohydrates, 

 fat and ash, and hence might be classed in different groups. 

 Those containing a proportionately large amount of protein 



