CHAPTER XI 



FOOD REQUIRED BY THE GROWING AND 

 FATTENING ANIMAL 



Composition of Lean and Fat Animals. Food required to Produce 

 a given Increase of Live Weight. Starch Values of Foods. 

 Albuminoid Ratio. Food Rations for various Purposes 

 based upon Starch Values. 



In the previous chapter we have only considered food 

 as a source of energy to the animal, maintaining its 

 temperature, and then supplying it with energy by 

 which it may carry out its bodily functions and perform 

 work. But the farmer is usually concerned with animals 

 which are growing and increasing in weight, and we 

 have now to ask ourselves to what extent the food is 

 utilised in these processes. The foundation of our 

 conclusions must rest upon the knowledge of the 

 composition of the animal's carcass in different stages 

 of its life, and this knowledge was obtained at Rotham- 

 sted, where Lawes and Gilbert had a number of animals 

 slaughtered in different stages of fatness, and determined 

 stage by stage the composition of the body of each. 

 The following animals were selected : — a fat calf, a half- 

 fat and a fat ox ; a fat lamb, a store sheep, three other 

 sheep in a half-fat, fat, and very fat condition ; a store 

 and a fat pig. The animals after slaughter were care- 

 fully divided, and the weights of the different parts of 

 the carcass and the offal were determined ; afterwards 



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