CHEMISTRY OF FOODS AND FEEDING. 1183 



the claims made for ensilage. It has been said that a pound 

 of digestible albuminoids, or any other food constituent, is just 

 as valuable in dried fodder as in that which is green, and 

 it is true in a sense ; but if the dried fodder is more difficult 

 of digestion, then a portion of the food digested, which in case 

 of the green fodder would be used in the production of meat 

 and milk, will be consumed in the production of energy, to 

 overcome this difficulty of digestion. 



We have seen that nervous energy is obtained from the food. 

 Hence, if an animal is kept in terror or excitement, teased or 

 annoyed by dogs or flies, or caused to fret in any way, there 

 will be an extra amount of the food used in development of 

 this energy, which otherwise might go for the production of 

 meat or milk. 



In order, then, to reduce to the lowest point the amount of 

 'bod used as food of support, we get the following rules : 



The animal must be protected from the cold. 



It must be called on to make no unnecessary physical exertion. 



It must be kept in a placid, happy temper, free from all an- 

 noyance, excitement, or alarm. 



The food it receives must be easy of digestion. 



By these means the amount of food used as food of support 

 will be decreased, and the proportion which the food of support 

 bears to the total amount of food supplied will be decreased. 



The second method of decreasing the proportion which the 

 food of support bears to the total amount of food supplied, is by 



Increasing the Amount of Food Supplied. Suppose 

 that under certain conditions a cow required fifteen pounds of 

 hay daily, as food of support; the proportion, then, between the 

 food of support and total amount supplied would be 15 to 15. 

 If twenty pounds of hay were given, the proportion would be 

 15 to 20; if thirty pounds were given, it would be 15 to 30; 

 if forty pounds were given it would be 15 to 40; and so on up 

 to the limit of the cow's capacity. It is thus evident that every 

 increase in the total amount of food supplied causes a decrease 

 in the proportion which the food of support bears to the total 

 amount of food supplied. 



