i 



Composition of Farm Animals 95 



sheep, and swine, but also of the extent to which this 

 composition is affected by ao^e and condition: 



Composition of farm animals (per cent) 



Species Water Ash Protein Fat 



Ox, well-fed 66.2 5.9 19.2 8.7 



Ox, half-fat 59. 5.2 18.3 17.5 



Ox, fat 49.5 4.4 15.6 30.5 



Sheep, lean 67.5 4. 18.3 10.2 



Sheep, well-fed 63.2 3.9 17.4 15.5 



Sheep, half- fat 58.9 3.8 16. 21.3 



Sheep, fat 50.9 3.3 13.9 31.9 



Sheep, very fat 43.3 3.1 12.2 41.4 



Swine, well-fed 57.9 2.9 15. 24.2 



Swine, fat 43.9 1.9 11.9 42.3 



Fat calf 64.6 4.8 16.5 14.1 



Steer, 17-months 59.4 4.4 17.4 18.8 



Steer, 17 -months 57.1 5.2 17.5 20.2 



Steer, 24 -months 53.1 5.1 16.6 25.2 



Steer, 24 -months 53.4 5.2 16.8 24.6 



It is always more or less surjirising to the learner 

 to ascertain that the bodies of farm animals of vari- 

 ous species and in various conditions are about half 

 water. This is water that is not in any way chemically 

 united with associated compounds, but exists in the 

 blood and tissues in a free state, and may be dried out 

 in the usual manner. Next to water, fat is the most 

 abundant material, protein and ash following in the 

 order named. 



Perhaps the most striking fact displayed is the great 

 variation in the proportion of these ingredients accord- 

 ing to the age and condition of the animal. For in- 

 stance, the percentage of water in the fat calf is much 



