CHAPTER II. 

 ANIMAL FEEDING. 



Source of food. All animals depend directly or in- 

 directly upon plants for their food. To properly feed 

 domestic animals it is necessary to know their needs and 

 the degree in which each available food will supply these 

 needs. The composition of a given food may be stated 

 in various ways. For the purpose of estimating its food 

 value we should know its analysis in terms of the follow- 

 ing substances : (1) Water, (2) ash, (3) protein, (4) 

 crude fiber, (5) starch and sugar and (6) oil or fat. 

 Starch and sugar are usually included in any analysis un- 

 der the name nitrogen-free extract. Sugar, starch and 

 fiber are together known as carbohydrates, 



Water 



Air M 



Soil L 



Relative amounts of the weight of green plants which are obtained from water, 

 air and soil. 



What plants contain. Plants contain in different de- 

 grees each of these six more or less complex substances. 



Fresh pasture grass contains : 



Per cent 



Water, 75.3 

 Ash, 2.5 



Protein, 4.0 



Crude fiber, 5.9 



Nitrogen-free extract, 11.4 

 Fat, 0.9 



Total, 100.0 



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