PREGNANCY IN ANIMALS 125 



The importance of feeding foods in balance and suit- 

 able in kind to pregnant animals is too frequently under- 

 rated. When it is not thus fed, the young are at a disad- 

 vantage at the very outset, from the lack of equilibrium in 

 development. Such disadvantage can never be entirely 

 overcome. 



The danger is also present that malformations will 

 be more numerous when ill-balanced food is fed, and that 



TYPICAL CHESTER WHITE SOW 



the proportion of still-born will be increased, and that 

 troubles will multiply at the time of parturition, and also 

 that the newly born animals will call for more careful 

 attention than would otherwise be necessary. 



Pregnancy and exercise. That ample exercise for 

 pregnant animals is essential to the well being of the 

 progeny has been abundantly proved in the realm of expe- 

 rience. The relation between the amount of exercise taken 

 by the dam when not excessive, and vigor in the progeny 

 when born, other things being equal, is constant. This 

 accounts for the much greater vigor of the lambs of the 

 Cheviot and Black-faced Highland breeds of sheep dropped 

 on their native pastures, as compared with those of some 



