FEEDING ANIMALS 321 



and digest feed. The animal expends energy in standing, 

 walking, or running, and in pumping the blood to all parts 

 of the body. There is but one source of energy for the animal 

 -the food it eats. 



414. Regulation of maintenance feed. The above are ex- 

 amples of the use of food for maintenance. The consumption 

 of food for maintenance on the average American farm is 

 larger than it should be. The maintenance cost is less when 

 the animal is comfortable and quiet than when it is exposed to 

 the storms of winter or is harassed. The experienced cattle 

 feeder knows that his steers will " run off " more weight in 

 a half hour when excited by dogs or ill-tempered attendants 

 than they will "lay on " in days. The dairyman has learned 

 that kindness to his cows pays. It is also true that the more 

 the animal is induced to eat, the larger is the proportion of 

 its food which is productive and the smaller the proportion 

 required for maintenance. 



415. What the animal produces. Farm animals produce 

 muscle, fat, bone, skin, hair, wool, feathers, horn, hoof, milk, 

 eggs, and energy for work. 



The mare with a young colt produces milk, and if required to 

 pull the plow, produces energy for work also. It is readily seen, 

 therefore, why the mare that produces both milk and energy 

 must be liberally fed, compared with a horse that is only plow- 

 ing. The young growing colt needs the food supplied by its 

 mother's milk, and hay, oats, and perhaps pasturage for growth. 

 The bone, muscle, hair, hide, and hoof which are produced 

 must come from the feed eaten. When the colt matures it will 

 no longer need feed for new growth, but when put to work it 

 will need feed to supply the energy to draw the load. Mature 

 cattle when fattened for the market produce only fat, while 

 young cattle need feed not only for the production of fat but 

 for growth also. The milk cow uses her feed for the production 

 of milk and must be fed well, because milk is a fairly rich prod- 

 uct and is produced by some cows in great quantities. Sheep 

 need feed for all of the purposes named excepting work, and, in 



