AUTHOR'S METHOD OF FEEDING 187 



der such conditions is a very important factor. This is 

 especially true with brood sows and seems to be one of 

 the reasons for the fact that show sows are frequently 

 either barren or very difficult to get with pig. The show 

 animal, according to the customs and demands of the 

 show ring, is usually put in very high condition, which 

 means that she is -fed the greatest possible quantity of 

 feed that she may be induced to eat. This usually con- 

 tains a large quantity of protein which will set up a high 

 factor of waste. After the show such an animal is re- 

 duced in flesh because she is too fat for any good use for 

 breeding purposes. By this process of reduction of feed 

 the protein is reduced and, when too great, will result in 

 a breaking down of the protein tissue of the body and it 

 is more than likely that the generative organs will be 

 affected as soon, or possibly sooner than the other organs, 

 because they are not as constantly in use, hence probably 

 not as stable. This then impairs that part of the animal 

 for which he is being kept. If the feed is not artificially 

 reduced for such an animal, it has been naturally reduced 

 even before such a sow has gone to the show ring. Be- 

 cause, as already noted, when a pig increases in age and 

 approaches maturity, the quantity of feed that is natur- 

 ally eaten is greatly reduced. Thus the factor of waste 

 that was established previously may have consumed a 

 large part of the protein tissue of the body of such an 

 animal before she appears in the show ring. This has 

 already rendered her barren, or placed her in a condition 

 where it will be difficult for her to perform her maternal 

 functions. 



Changes in general that are to be made in a ration, 

 therefore, should be made very gradually, both in the 

 quantity of nutrients or the total amount of feed that is 



