124 FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



The influence thus exerted has been turned to good 

 account, more especially by flockmasters as those of Great 

 Britain. As the breeding season approaches they exercise 

 special care in the feeding of the ram. The aim is to give 

 him food sufficiently nourishing and succulent to Keep 

 him in a vigorous and "sappy" condition. Likewise the 

 ewes are put upon fresh and nourishing pastures two or 

 three weeks or more before the breeding season. Usually 

 the pastures are supplemented with a small allowance of 

 grain. In some instances the pastures are sufficiently 

 nourishing without grain, as for instance when they con- 

 sist of rape well advanced in growth. Similarly by feeding 

 brood sows nourishing food subsequently to the weaning 

 period, and for a longer or shorter period before weaning, 

 it has been noticed that the numbers in the litters are 

 increased. The duration of the building-up period, so to 

 speak, is dependent on the degree of the flesh carried. 



Pregnancy and food. That the relation between the 

 food fed and the character of the development in utero is 

 both intimate and close is witnessed in the varied results 

 froxn feeding different foods to pregnant dams of the same 

 species. When the carbohydrates are in excess in the 

 food, the development of muscle is so far less than it would 

 otherwise be. When the protein is in excess, the muscular 

 tissue will be in excess at the time of birth, hence the 

 progeny though large when born are much liable to be 

 flabby and weak. When the ash is deficient, the relative 

 proportion of bone will be too little and the quality of the 

 same will be lacking. 



Feed corn for instance as the exclusive diet to a preg- 

 nant sow and the young when 'born will be less in size, and 

 possessed of less bone than is normal. Corn is not a bal- 

 anced food. It is rich in carbohydrates and deficient in 

 ash. Feed clover hay to pregnant ewes and along with it 

 large quantities of rutabagas, and the lambs will be large 

 at birth but flabby and weak. In such food there is an 

 excess of protein. 



