CHAPTER IX. 



KELATION OF FOOD TO ANIMAL EEQUIREMENTS. 



The Requirements of the Young Animal. — Composition of colostrum 

 and milk— Suitable albuminoid ratio of the food — Food require- 

 ments in diSerent stages of growth — Importance of ash consti- 

 tuents. The Adult Animal. — Production of heat— Production of 

 work — Maintenance diets — Labour diet— Influence of pace. The 

 Fattening Animal. — Conditions necessary for increase— Results 

 obtained when fattening oxen, sheep, and pigs on ordinary diets — 

 Alterations in consumption of food, and rate of increase, as 

 fattening proceeds — Albuminoid ratios for fattening animals. 

 Production of Wool. — Composition of wool — Influence of diet. 

 Production of Milk. — Influence of diet on the quantity of milk — 

 Albuminoid ratio for milking cows — Comparative yield of nitro- 

 genous produce by cows and oxen — Influence of diet on the quality 

 of milk and butter. 



The Toung Growing Animal. — The special feature 

 of the nutrition of young animals is the rapid formation 

 of nitrogenous tissue and bone, for which purpose an 

 abundant supply of albuminoids and of suitable ash 

 constituents in the food is clearly requisite. 



The kind of food most appropriate to the wants of a 

 young animal is shown by the composition of milk. 

 The milk supplied to the young immediately after 

 birth (the colostrum) is of a very concentrated descrip- 

 tion. During the j5rst week after birth the quantity 

 of the milk greatly increases, and its composition gradu- 

 ally alters from that of colostrum to that of ordinary 

 milk. In the following table will be found the com- 

 position of the colostrum and milk yielded by various 



