CHAPTEE XIX 



SCIENCE AND PRACTICE OF FEEDING 



No farmer, be he large or small, can hope to get the 

 best results from the feeding of his stock if he has not, 

 at least, a working knowledge of the scientific prin- 

 ciples involved in foods and feeding. Standard 

 rations may be given, but, like standard manurial 

 formulae, they can more often than not be improved 

 upon by the man who has a brain, and will use it. 



All food can be divided into the digestible and 

 indigestible portion. From the feeder's standpoint, 

 we need only concern ourselves with the former. This 

 digestible portion becomes ' 'dissolved" in the animal's 

 stomach, absorbed into the blood stream, goes to 

 repair the different parts of the body, and supply the 

 animal with heat and energy. (This portion is spoken 

 of as the MAINTENANCE DIETARY OF THE FOOD.) 



All the digestible part, over and above that required 

 for maintenance, is utilised for the production of 

 various animal products. This is called the 

 PRODUCTIVE DIETARY, and, in the case of a dairy 

 cow, goes to form milk, and help in the building up 

 of the unborn calf, whilst in bullocks, pigs, and store 

 sheep it goes to produce beef, pork, and mutton, 

 respectively, and also wool in the sheep. In the case 

 of ewes, part of the productive dietary helps in the 

 building up of the unborn lambs, and the milk for the 

 lambs when born. 



