462 FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



relatively and of the extent to which the more coarse fod- 

 ders can be fed. The only exception is in the case of ma- 

 ture animals that are not producing. When kept to that 

 age beyond which the teeth begin to fail, then foods richer 

 and prepared so as to reduce the labor of mastication are 

 essential. It should also be noted that, viewed from the 

 standpoint of age only, the necessity for foods rich in pro- 

 tein and mineral matters gradually decreases with advanc- 

 ing age, hence, the nutritive ratio widens proportionately. 



With reference to the different classes of animals, it 

 may be said, that cattle and sheep can profitably consume 

 larger quantities of bulky foods relatively than horses and 

 swine, owing to the greater relative capacity they have for 

 storing the same and to the better equipment they have 

 for thoroughly masticating the food when preparing it for 

 digestion. The average capacity of the stomach of the 

 horse has been given as 19 quarts, of the ox as 266.9, the 

 sheep 24.7 and the hog 8.5. To some extent, however, this 

 is offset by the greater relative -intestinal capacity of the 

 horse and the hog. It follows, therefore, that horses re- 

 quire as a rule, more concentrated food relatively than cat- 

 tle and sheep, and that because swine are not so well equipped 

 as horses for masticating coarse fodders, they require 

 a still larger proportion of concentrated food. 



With reference to the various purposes for which ani- 

 mals are kept it may be said : ( I ) That horses at work call 

 for increased concentration in the food fed with increase 

 in the amount and severity of the work done; (2) that 

 with cattle, the need for protein is greatest during the 

 milk taking period, that the diet of cows in milk must be 

 richer in protein and possessed of more succulence than 

 that for cattle that are being fattened, and that the food of 

 the latter must be increasingly rich in the main in fat 

 producing elements as the fattening process advances; (3) 

 that the same reasoning applies equally to sheep and swine 

 and (4) that while swine between the weaning and fatten- 

 ing period can utilize pasture to much advantage the food 



