PREGNANCY IN ANIMALS I2/ 



The dam of course must nourish the foetus from the 

 time of impregnation. The nourishment comes through 

 the circulatory system. The circulation is sustained from 

 the food digested. It stands to reason that as soon a> 

 conception has taken place, a part of the nutriment from 

 the food eaten is diverted from the dam, who would other- 

 wise profit by it, to the foetus which she carries. If she 

 is in a condition of reasonably high flesh at the time jof con- 

 ception, she will not suffer by such diversion, but if in 

 low flesh at such a time then the opportunity to build up 

 the system and thus to fortify it against the drain which 

 the milk-giving period entails is so far taken away. It is 

 true of course, that a dam in low condition at the time of 

 conception may be so built up as to be in good flesh at 

 the time of parturition. 



Of course, it is easily possible to have the dam in so 

 high a condition of flesh at the time of mating as to be 

 unfavorable to conception. It would also be possible to 

 sustain her in a condition of flesh so high as to be unfa- 

 vorable to the development of the foetus. Such difficulty 

 is met with in the management of females shown at fairs 

 which are grown chiefly for producing meat. The progeny 

 of such females are in many instances less than average 

 in size at birth. It should be remembered, however, that 

 for one animal too high in flesh at the time of conception 

 and during pregnancy for the best results, there are many 

 animals too low in flesh for the same. 



When pregnant animals carry flesh, to the extent of 

 proving adverse to successful breeding, it will usually be 

 found that the adverse results are owing more to the 

 unsuitable character of the food which made the flesh than 

 to the high condition of flesh. The influence of high flesh 

 made by feeding carbonaceous foods, such as corn and 

 fodders lacking in succulence though rich in nutrients, is 

 very different from that exerted by the same resulting 

 from feeding foods in balance and withal succulent. The 

 same j.s true of course of the influence exerted by foods 



