278 



BEGINNINGS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY 



Europe. Today we are able to use a table of digestible 

 nutrients which is based on the composition of American 

 feeds as studied by chemists of our own country. Wolff's 

 feeding standards in improved form are, however, very gen- 

 erally used by American feeders as the best yet available. 

 Wolff used 1000 pounds as the standard of weight for ani- 

 mals, and assumed that a certain amount of dry matter, 

 and of digestible protein, carbohydrates, and fat, were 

 needed for that weight under given conditions. The ani- 

 mals were classified in groups, as oxen, fattening cattle, 

 milch cows, sheep, horses, etc. Then those in a group were 

 classified according to their purpose; as for example, horses 

 into light, medium, and heavy work; and dairy cows in four 

 classes, according to the amount of milk made per day. 

 The following figures, taken from Wolff's feeding standard, 

 illustrate its arrangement: 



Pounds required daily for each 1000 Ibs. live weight. 



This table means, for instance, that a horse at light work 

 weighing 1000 pounds requires 20 pounds of dry matter 

 daily, containing 1J^ pound of protein, 9J/2 pounds of car- 

 bohydrates, and 0.4 pound of fat, the ration having a nutri- 

 tive ratio of 1:7. 



The practical application of Wolff's feeding standards 

 has been recognized on thousands of farms in America, and 

 to the great profit of those adopting them. Probably no 

 class of people has studied the standard more carefully than 



