100 



THE STOCKFEEDER'S COMPANION 



be temporarily stored and ferment a little, with the 

 result that the fibre is rendered more digestible ; but 

 even then the proportion digested falls far short of that 

 possible with ruminants when both are fed on bulky 

 fodders. 



Effect of Stage of Maturity on Digestibility. 

 This can best be illustrated from a hay crop, as it may 

 be cut and harvested, (i) before it is in flower, (2) when 

 it is in full flower, or (3) after it has passed full-flower 

 stage. The effect of cutting and harvesting hay at each 

 of these three stages on the digestibility, is given in the 

 following table, taken from Warington : 



Digestion by Sheep of Hay at Different Stages of Maturity. 



The diminution of the proportion of each nutrient 

 digested as the grass increases in age is very striking, 

 and shows how difficult it is to generalise as to the 

 composition and digestibility of hay crops. 



Effect of Work. The effect of work with, say, 

 a horse, is to increase the respiration considerably. 

 This means more oxygen is taken into the lungs and 

 then into the blood, with the result that more oxidation 

 of the food takes place and more heat is generated in the 

 body. There is, at the same time, an increased demand 

 on the food to meet the energy required to enable the 



