102 THE STOCKFEEDER'S COMPANION 



(d) Laxativeness of diet. 



(e) Its palatability. 

 (/) Economy. 



Composition. It is obvious that a ration which 

 is to meet the various requirements of the animal must 

 be sufficiently rich in nutrient substances (albuminoids, 

 fat, and carbohydrates). The proportions of each 

 of these nutrients in the ration is a point of some 

 importance, seeing that growth in size and the produc- 

 tion of nitrogenous tissues (flesh, sinew, horny substance, 

 hair, etc.) can, generally speaking, only be produced 

 from the albuminoids in the food. 



The fat and carbohydrates are quite as good as 

 albuminoids, in fact better, for the production of heat, 

 energy, and body fat. Further, the carbohydrates are 

 much cheaper than albuminoids, which makes it advisable 

 from a practical point of view to see that the proportion 

 of albuminoids in the ration should not greatly or 

 extravagantly exceed that which is necessary for the 

 production of nitrogenous tissue in the animal body. 

 Milk is fairly rich in albuminoids, hence milking animals 

 require a more liberal allowance of albuminoids than 

 cows which are not milking. 



Another very important point is that the "fibre con- 

 tent" of the concentrated diet should be low, not exceed- 

 ing 1 5 per cent, in fattening rations, and usually much less. 



In practice, the suitability of a ration may be ascer- 

 tained very approximately from its chemical composition 

 so far as the balance of nutrients is concerned, and this 

 method will be employed later on in the compounding 

 of rations. 



Although the balance of nutrients in the ration 

 may be calculated sufficiently near for practical purposes 



