236 LIVESTOCK ON THE FARM 



Importance of Mineral Matter. — The absolute amount of 

 mineral matter necessary is not very great, nevertheless, as 

 previously stated, the importance of it is just as great as that 

 of any other of the food nutrients. 



Babcock of Wisconsin has shown that a well-grown animal, 

 as for instance a cow, can live and do its work fairly well for a 

 period of six months without any mineral ingredients at all in its 

 ration. At the end of that time, however, the animal will 

 suffer greatly, apparently ''go to pieces" very suddenly, and 

 will recover just as quickly when the missing material is again 

 supplied. 



Young and growing pigs, if given rations deficient in mineral 

 ingredients or in other necessary substances, will very soon 

 show marked evil effects. Mineral ingredients are among the 

 most important in a ration for swine. 



Swine should at all times, therefore, have free access to salt, 

 charcoal, ground limestone, bone meal and hardwood ashes. 

 If the latter are not available small quantities of a weak solu- 

 tion of concentrated lye fed in the slop will be found helpful. 



PROTEIN 



An animal may be fed as much as it will eat of all other 

 nutrients but if protein be omitted from the ration, it will die, 

 even with a full stomach. Examples of protein material are 

 white of egg and lean meat. Protein as well as mineral matter 

 is used in much larger quantities during the growing period 

 than after maturity, when only enough is necessarj^ for main- 

 tenance. Protein is used by the animal body for the develop- 

 ment and maintenance of protein tissue — lean meat, part of 

 the bone, glands, blood, hide, horns and hoof. 



While it is true that the mature animal can use protein 

 material for other purposes it cannot do this as economically 

 for energy, heat and fat production as it can use carbohydrates 

 and fat. This ])eing true, the amount of protein fed to swine 

 should be limited in accordance with the ability of the animal 

 to use it for the proper purpose. A pig has greater powers of 

 consumption and digestion, especially of protein and also 

 other nutrients, than it has powers to use these materials after 

 they are digested and absorbed from the digestive tract. 



