MEAT PRODUCTION 377 



when fed for 60 to 75 days should make an average daily 

 gain of one and one-fourth to one and one-half pounds, 

 providing they are not of less weight than 150 pounds 

 when the fattening season begins. In a few instances a gain 

 of 2 pounds per day has been made. 



Leading up to full feeding. With reference to this 

 question, it may be said: (i) That animals which are 

 somewhat thin in flesh cannot be fattened quickly for some 

 time after the commencement of the fattening period, how- 

 soever suitable and liberal the feeding may be; (2) that 

 when such animals are first put on a fattening ration, they 

 are not capable of digesting quantities of concentrated 

 foods so large as at a later period and (3) that in conse- 

 quence, it is necessary to bring them up gradually to 

 what is termed full feeding, which means, feeding all the 

 concentrates and roughage that the animals can digest and 

 assimilate after having been given gradually increasing 

 quantities of concentrates from the commencement of the 

 fattening period onward. 



As explained by Dr. H. P. Armsby in the "Manual of 

 Cattle Feeding," cattle that are much reduced in flesh and 

 fat cannot be fattened quickly until they are first brought 

 into a well nourished condition. The animal body must 

 first contain a sufficient amount of organized and circula- 

 tory protein, without which it cannot digest, resorb and 

 store up protein and fat. To bring about this condition 

 it is most economical usually to feed freely some legumin- 

 ous fodder, as clover or alfalfa hay. This, however, may 

 be supplemented with some grain or by-product, or the 

 two combined, also reasonably rich in protein. Such foods as 

 oats and bran, or oats and oil cake are well adapted to such 

 feeding. The aim should be to feed foods that will give a 

 nutritive ratio of say 1 15.5. Such food increases the stock of 

 Circulatory protein, and thus paves the way for laying on 

 fat. 



When fattening begins, animals are not capable of di- 

 gesting and assimilating large quantities of grain, for the 



