BULLETIN No. 181. 



DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY. 



DIGESTION EXPERIMENTS WITH SHEEP. 



J. B. LINDSEY, C. L. BEALS AND P. H, SMITH. 



Introduction. 



The digestion experiments reported in this bulletin were made during 

 a number of years, beginning with the autumn of 1912. They include 

 portions of Series XVIII. and XIX. and all of Series XX., XXI. and XXII., 

 with the exception of one experiment in Series XXII. Each series in- 

 cludes a period of time between the early autumn and the following spring. 

 A few of the results have been given in other publications. 



The basal ration in the majority of cases was English hay, or English 

 hay and gluten feed. 



The usual method of conducting the tests was employed, and has been 

 fully described elsewhere. ^ 



The composition of the feeds tested in the several series is presented in 

 the tabulation known as Table I., which is arranged alphabetically. 



Table II. is arranged by series, beginning with Series XVIII. It con- 

 tains the average amount of feces excreted daily by each sheep, the weight 

 of one- tenth of the feces in air-drj- condition, the percentage of dry mat- 

 ter in the air-drj^ feces, and the composition of the dry matter. 



Table III. contains the weight of the animals at the beginning and end 

 of each digestion period, and the average amount of water consumed daily. 



In Table IV. will be found the digestion coefficients of basal rations used 

 in the computations which follow in Table V. This table, headed "Com- 

 putation of Digestion Coefficients," presents the detailed data of each 

 trial, together with the resulting coefficients. Following the complete 

 data will be found a summary of the coefficients secured for each material, 

 together with a discussion of the results. 



Table VI. gives an average of the coefficients secured for each feed 

 tested. 



It may be stated that the period in nearly all cases extended over four- 

 teen days, the first seven of which were preliminary, the collecting of the 

 feces being made on the last seven. Ten grams of salt were fed each sheep 

 daily, and water ad libitum. The sheep were grade Shropshires, as nearly 

 as possible of the same age and weight. 



1 Mr. Smith and Mr. Beals did the larger part of the analytical work and the tabulations; the 

 work at the feeding barn was carried out by Mr. J. R. Alcock. 



2 Eleventh report of the Mass. State Agri. Exp. Sta., pp. 146-149 (1893). 



