37 2 FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



domestic animals at different ages : It has been found easily 

 possible to secure 2 pounds of increase per day, not in- 

 cluding- the birth weight, from cattle of the large breeds at 

 the age of one year. During the second year it requires 

 careful feeding to secure an average increase of one and 

 three-fourths pounds per day, and during the third year, 

 equally careful feeding to secure an increase of one and 

 one-fourth to one and one-half pounds per day. In other 

 words, 730 pounds of increase can be secured as readily as 

 639 pounds of further increase the second year, and as, say 

 504 pounds the third year. It would be approximately cor- 

 rect to say that lambs of the medium-sized mutton breeds 

 of sheep, if well nourished, will make a daily gain of 0.7 

 pound during the first month; 0.6 pound during the first 

 three months ; 0.45 pound during the second three ; 0.3 

 pound during the third three and 0.25 pound during the 

 fourth three. In other words, including the birth weight, 

 the lamb will attain to a weight of 21 pounds at one month, 

 and of 54 pounds at three months. During the second period 

 it will gain 40.5 pounds, 27 pounds during the third, and 

 223/2 during the fourth, at which time the weight will be 

 144 pounds. The subsequent gains will gradually decrease 

 until the animal is mature. With well sustained swine of 

 the middle breeds, it would be approximately correct to say 

 that during the first 70 days of growth, about the average 

 suckling period, the pigs would make an average daily in- 

 crease of say 0.6 pound; during the second period of 70 

 days, one pound, and during the third, one and one-half 

 pounds. In other words, they would make an increase dur- 

 ing the first period, including the birth weight, of 42 

 pounds, 70 pounds during the second period, and 105 

 pounds during the third, when they would weigh 217 

 pounds at the age of seven months. The daily gains would 

 probably be maintained and possibly increased for a month 

 or two longer, after which they would decline until matu- 

 rity was reached. 



