ANIMAL NUTRITION 181 



exert influence on the maintenance ration required. As 

 wide a nutritive ratio as 11.8 parts of digestive carbohydrates 

 to one part of digestive protein may be used successfully 

 for a maintenance ration. The nutritive ratio is deter- 

 mined by adding 2.25 times the digestible fat to the 

 digestible carbohydrates, and dividing by the digestible 

 protein. 



124. Fattening Rations. The main object of fattening 

 is to improve the quality of the meat; the accumulation of 

 fatty tissue is a secondary object. The formation of fat 

 and its accumulation in the animal is governed by the quan- 

 tity and quality of the food consumed above the amount 

 required for growth and maintenance. It is difficult to 

 fatten young animals on account of their tendency to make 

 use of a large part of the food eaten for growth. Exertion 

 or excitement of any kind lessens the amount of fat formed 

 from a given quantity of feed. The fattening ration for 

 beef animals depends upon their condition when feeding is 

 begun. If the animals are thin, a ratio of one part of pro- 

 tein to six parts of carbohydrate is recommended, allow- 

 ing a liberal amount of protein during the first period of 

 fattening, in order that the muscular tissues may be built 

 up. From 12 to 15 pounds of digestible nutrients in the pro- 

 portion already mentioned should be given per 1000 pounds 

 of live-weight. For mature animals in good condition, 

 a nutritive ratio as wide as 1 to 10 or 12 is suggested. The 

 nutritive ratio will depend to some extent on the relative 

 cost of feeds containing protein to the cost of carbohydrate 

 feeds. In the Southern States, the cheap cottonseed meal 

 will warrant a narrower ration, i.e., one having less carbo- 

 hydrate in proportion to the protein than is usually recom- 

 mended elsewhere. 



Hogs make good gains on a narrower nutritive ratio than 

 is needed for steers. The ratios showing best results range 

 from 1 to 6 in the beginning to 1 to 7 toward the end of the 

 fattening period. It has been shown that 100 pounds of 



