Tin: FEEDINQ OF THE ANIMAL 247 



without change. For this reason it is often con- 

 venient to consider it in a cImss liy itself. So far 

 as it is used at all, it serves tlie same purpose as 

 the other carboliydrates. 



3/. Fats 



448. The fats (371(0 of f(,)dder are used by 

 the animal for much the same purposes as the 

 carbohydrates. They contain only carl>on, oxy- 

 gen and hydro.ii:en, but proportionately much 

 less oxygen than the carbohydrates. For this 

 reason they yield much more eneri^y when dr- 

 composed or l)urned, and are, therefori', of 

 mueh more value to the animal than the carbo- 

 hydrates. 



4l!>, The amount of energj' yielded by differ- 

 ent fats varies somewhat, l)ut in freneral, it is 

 about two and one- fourth times as much as that 

 yicldt-d by an ecjual weight of sugar or starch ; 

 and in reducing fat to its "starch equivalent" (for 

 pur|>oses of comparison) this is the factor com- 

 monly emphyed. Ill ordinary fodders the per- 

 centage of fat is not large, running from about 

 3 to about 8 per <'eiit of the air-dry substance. 



4. Feeding 

 4(1. \Hln''ve ratio 



4.')(). Fn^m what has already been said, it will 

 be seen that the protein, carbohydrates aixl fatj* 



