THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANIMALS 69 



more material than they can adjust to the needs of the ani- 

 mals, and puts an impossible task upon the secretions. The 

 whole system as it were becomes clogged, and in propor- 

 tion as it does the machinery of digestion suffers beyond 

 the possibility of absolute recovery. 



With matured animals the same law or principle is 

 operative, both with regard to increase and production. 

 Feed the grown animal in the feed lot excessively on rich 

 concentrated grain foods, and it gets "off feed." This 

 means that the digestive functions have been overtaxed and 

 must have rest. Nature to provide this causes the appetite 

 to fail. Prompt withholding of the grain portion of the 

 ration may bring about measurable restoration, but the ani- 

 mal will not again bear being thus fed so heavily during 

 the finishing period. Even should recovery be almost com- 

 plete, the cost of maintenance has been incurred meanwhile, 

 with little or no advance in the weight of the animal. 



Once overtax the digestion of a cow in milk, by thus 

 overfeeding her, and similar results follow. Production 

 lessens and in proportion to the overstrain put upon the 

 digestive machinery, so to speak, of the cow, even though 

 there should be no sudden break, down in the machinery 

 of digestion, there may be a weakening so gradual as to 

 be imperceptible. This may be so gradual as to cover a 

 period of -several years. Its presence may only be discern- 

 ible in lessened capacity for milk production, notwithstand- 

 ing the consumption of the same quantities of food as were 

 consumed when the production was greater. Thus it is 

 that by high pressure feeding of concentrates, the capacity 

 of a cow may be so reduced as to materially lessen the 

 profit that would otherwise be obtained from her. It may 

 also materially shorten the period of possible profitable 

 usefulness. 



It will be readily apparent that the loss thus recurring 

 from such underfeeding or overfeeding, will be far more 



