MAINTENANCE RATION AND BATTENINGS 451 



Anything that disquiets the animal, as irregular meals, rough 

 treatment, insufficient bedding, etc., increases the oxidation of 

 matter and decreases the production of fat. Armsby has found, 

 by direct measurements, that an animal standing consumes about 

 one-fourth more energy than when lying down. The temperature 

 of the stall should be kept low rather than high, as the digestive 

 processes of the fattening animal evolve a considerable amount of 

 heat, which is partly radiated and partly carried off by evapora- 

 tion of water from the body. If insufficient ventilation, heavy 

 hair, or fat layers under the skin decrease evaporation, the animal 

 instinctively consumes less food. 



The effect of fattening is chiefly perceptible in increase of live 

 weight. At the beginning, the weight increases rapidly for a 

 few days, due to filling the body with food and water. After the 

 fattening proper has been begun, regular weighings, which are 

 best made before the morning meal, shows the progress of the 

 fattening. According to the quantity of the feed, a tolerably 

 constant increase in weight occurs for a longer or shorter period. 

 The weekly increase then gradually becomes less and less, until 

 finally it disappears. When the increase of weight ceases, it 

 does not prove that fattening has ceased. Fat continues to be 

 deposited for a time, taking the place of water, until the capacity 

 of the tissues is satisfied. The cost of production of the increase 

 of fat and flesh increases considerable towards the end of the 

 fattening period. 



Another cause of the decreased production with length of fat- 

 tening period is the increase in the maintenance requirement of 

 the animal, which takes place more rapidly than the increase in, 

 weight. 



For the maintenance of fattening animals, rations much smaller 

 than the fattening ration suffice, and should depend on the degree 

 of fatness. The transition to a maintenance ration should be 

 gradual. 



' Hogs i- l /2 years old require no specially high amounts 

 of protein. As they have a high digestive power for 

 carbohydrates the nutritive ratio may be as wide as i : 10. 



