CARE OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS . 479 



safe to say, that a majority of those in this country ex- 

 clusively engaged in feeding animals have come from 

 certain countries in western Europe, especially Great 

 Britain, Denmark, Holland and Germany. The demand 

 for this class of work is likely to continue, indefinitely, and 

 the remuneration will be more, relatively, than is paid for 

 other lines of physical labor. The calling is also less 

 subject to change than in any other line of work, since a 

 change of feeders frequently brings with it more hazard 

 than change in many other lines in which animal life is 

 not a factor. The skilled feeder is practically assured of 

 work, liberal maintenance, and in some instances compe- 

 tence through all the changes of the times. 



Regularity in caring for stock. The importance of 

 regularity in everything that pertains to the keeping of 

 live stock cannot be easily over-estimated. While this ap- 

 plies to every phase of management, it does not so apply 

 equally. While giving food and salt irregularly are both 

 to be deprecated, animals will take greater harm from ir- 

 regularity in supplying the former. This source of hind- 

 rance to well doing is especially significant when it applies, 

 (i) to the giving of food; (2) to the giving of drink; (3) 

 to the milking of cows and (4) to the working of horses. 



Opinions do not always agree as to the number of 

 times that food should be given daily. This probably should 

 be gauged by the age of the animal, by the nature of the 

 digestive organs, and by the amount of work performed. 

 There can be no question but that young animals should be 

 fed more frequently when young than at a later period, ow- 

 ing in part, at least, to the greater activity of the digestive 

 organs. Animals with relatively large stomach capacity do 

 not of necessity call for food supplies so frequently as those 

 in which such capacity is not so large. Two feeds a day have 

 been found sufficient for cows, even when in milk, and also 

 for animals well grown that are being fattened, though 

 a considerable number adhere to the practice of giving a 

 light feed of fodder in the middle of the day in addition to 



