ir>o 



PRINCIPLES OF FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



feeding standards, especially those for fattening animals 

 and those for milk production. Considerable work has been 

 done upon the maintenance requirement of cattle, while 

 but Uttle has been done upon that of other farm animals. 

 After a careful study of the experiments upon this subject, 

 it seems that the averages given in Table 10 represent the 

 maintenance requirement of the farm animals with a fair 

 degree of accuracy. 



Table 10. — Maintenance Requirements of Farm Animals 



Requirements for Growth. — Growth consists of an in- 

 crease in the size of the muscles, bones, organs, etc., of the 

 body. Thus growth is essentially an increase in the amount 

 of protein tissue of the body, although some fat will also 

 be formed, the amount depending upon the amount and 

 nature of the ration. The principal sources of the protein 

 tissue are the protein and mineral matter of the feed. The 

 rate of growth in the young animal is quite high, but de- 

 creases as the animal becomes older. In the mature animal 

 practically all growth is confined to the skin, hair, hoofs, 

 and horns. Consequently, the younger an animal is the 



• Dif^estible protein plu.s digestible carbohydrates plus 2.25 times digest- 

 ible fat. 



