CHAPTER VIII 

 THE FEED REQUIREMENTS OF FARM ANIMALS 



The Balanced Ration. — A balanced ration is a ration 

 which contains all the nutrients in such proportions, forms, 

 and amounts as will nourish properly, and without excess of 

 any nutrient, a .given animal for one day. The proportion 

 refers to the proportion of digestible protein to the digestible 

 carbohydrates and fat, as indicated by the nutritive ratio. 

 The form refers to the character or bulk of the ration as 

 indicated by the amount of dry substance. Extended study 

 of the amount of each nutrient required by the different 

 farm animals for the various purposes for which they are 

 kept has led to the formation of so-called " feeding 

 standards." 



Feeding Standards. — Theoretically, feeding standards 

 may be looked upon as formulas which tell at a glance 

 the amount of each nutrient necessary to produce a given 

 result. In practice, however, feeding standards cannot be 

 regarded as such. In the first place, the requirements of 

 farm animals for different purposes have not been deter- 

 mined accurately in many cases. In the second place, the 

 requirements of animals of the same species are not con- 

 stant, but are influenced considerably by such factors as 

 the individuahty, previous feeding, and temperament of 

 the animal, temperature and other weather conditions, etc. 

 Thus, no two animals have exactly the same requirement, 



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