196 



FEEDER'S GUIDE. 



CLASSIFICATION OF CATTLE FOODS CONTINUED 



Feeding Standards. 



Investigations by scientists have brought to light the 

 fact that the different classes of farm animals require 

 certain amounts of food materials for keeping the body 

 functions in regular healthy activity; this is known as 

 the maintenance ration of the animal, an allowance of 

 feed which will cause him to maintain his live weight 

 without either gaining or losing, or producing animal 

 products like milk, wool, meat, eggs, etc. If the animal 

 is expected to manufacture these products in addition, 

 it is necessary to supply enough extra food to furnish 

 materials for this manufacture. The food requirements 

 for different purposes have been carefully studied, and 

 we know now with a fair amount of accuracy how much 

 food it takes in the different cases to reach the objects 

 sought. Since there is a great variety of different foods, 

 and almost infinite possible combinations of these, it 

 would not do to express these requirements in so and 

 so many pounds of corn or oats, or wheat bran, but they 

 are in all cases expressed in amounts of digestible pro- 

 tein, carbohydrates and fat. This enables the feeder to 

 supply these food materials in such feeding stuffs as he 



