260 SCIENTIFIC FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



linseed cake, rape cake, rice, peas, maize, wheat 

 bran, oats, and from fish or meat feeding meals 

 rich in fat. For cattle, an improvement in quality 

 of the meat is obtained by giving those foods which 

 tend to soften the fat, whilst for pigs the opposite 

 is necessaty. 



The temperature of the surroundings has also a 

 powerful influence upon the nature of the body fat. 

 Wild animals exposed to much cold have a fat 

 which is more oily than that of tame animals, 

 whose fat does not melt at such a low temperature. 

 This was well shown in the case of three young pigs 

 of the same breed, one of which was put in a place 

 the temperature of which was 30-35 C, the second 

 and third were kept at a temperature of about 

 freezing point, the third pig being, however, sewn 

 up in a sheepskin — wool inside. The three ani- 

 mals were fed in an exactly similar manner, and 

 after two months it was found that the second 

 animal had a much softer fat than had the other 

 two pigs. A warm sty, therefore, assists in pro- 

 ducing a firmer bacon. 



The quantity of non-nitrogenous nutrients (ex- 

 clusive of fat) which are to be given will depend 

 principally upon whether the fattening is to be slow 

 or rapid. It should not be forgotten though that 

 very large supplies of food are not utilised so well 

 as more moderate rations. 



In a series of experiments with sheep, it was 



