PRINCIPLES OF AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY 



Feed eaten per 



Weight 100 pounds gain 



pounds pounds 



15-50 293 



50-100 400 



100-150 437 



150-200 482 



200-250 498 



250-300 511 



300-350 535 



Mineral Matter. Growing animals retain from 40 to 60 per 

 cent, of the lime and phosphoric acid in the food. As the skeleton 

 of a calf a year old contains on an average 17 pounds lime and 15 

 pounds phosphoric acid, the animal must take up 21 grams lime 

 and 19 grams phosphoric acid per day, and the food should con- 

 tain 40 to 60 grams each of these to meet the requirements. The 

 body of a pig contains about 1.15 per cent, lime and i.io per cent, 

 phosphoric acid, which would be equivalent to a daily increase of 

 3.8 grams lime and 3.7 grams phosphoric acid for a pig a year old 

 weighing 250 pounds. As about 3 grams must be present in the 

 food for i gram stored up, the animal will need 12 grams per 

 day each of lime and of phosphoric acid. It is important to pay 

 attention to the mineral matter in the food of growing animals. 



Feeding Young Animals. Animals intended for fattening 

 should be fed more liberally than those that are to be used for 

 milk or work. But with all animals the natural development 

 should proceed normally. It is a serious mistake to assume that 

 improper feeding when young can be counteracted by liberal 

 feeding afterwards. Young animals fed with a deficiency of 

 proteids yield a carcass of poor quality overcharged with fat. 



The extreme sensitiveness of young animals requires care in 

 avoiding all injurious influences, in food, as well as in care and 

 protection. Food should be supplied often on account of the 

 limited capacity of the animal. Regular feeding, clean vessels 

 for eating and drinking, good care of the skin, a well ventilated 

 stall, and clean, dry bedding are requisites to satisfactory growth. 

 Drafts, cold, and wet, which affect young animals much more than 

 old ones, are often very injurious. Sufficient exercise is neces- 



