274 SCIENTIFIC FEEDING OF ANIMALS 



that the mass of food inside the animal is a weight 

 which must be carried about and tends to diminish 

 the amount of work which can be done. For this 

 reason it is advisable to restrict the quantity of 

 coarse fodder, which on account of its indigesti- 

 bility is a considerable burden to the animal. A 

 lot of coarse fodder also requires a longer time for 

 its consumption and rumination, and so shortens 

 the working period. . 



It must further be remembered that very watery 

 food has a lowering tendency and causes sweating, 

 so that in general dry feeding is preferable to wet 

 feeding, and when there is a shortage of green 

 fodder, mangels, turnips, etc. these should prefer- 

 ably be given to the milking stock. 



Draught oxen, even if they are only performing 

 light work, cannot be kept on coarse fodder alone, 

 although it may be of the best quality, and this in 

 spite of the large capacity which these animals have 

 for bulky food. Some addition of protein food 

 must be given in order to obtain a ration correspond- 

 ing to the standard. Suitable mixtures can be 

 got from coarse fodder with moderate additions 

 of roots ; potatoes, if the price is low, are to be 

 preferred to mangels. Instead of such roots, 

 fresh or dried beet slices can be used, and the 

 deficiency in protein made up by the addition of 

 oil cakes, refuse from distilleries or breweries, ground 

 cereal grains or leguminous seeds, molasses, etc. 



