58 



FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



able that the carbohydrates are usually 

 the chief source of fat in cow's milk. 

 Nevertheless, an amount of protein con- 

 siderably larger than that which calcu- 

 lation shows ought to be sufficient is re- 

 quired if the largest flow of milk is se- 

 cured. In other words protein seems to 

 have two functions in milk production : 

 It forms a constituent part of the casein 

 of the milk, and it serves to stimulate 

 the flow of milk. 



Animals giving milk require much 

 heavier feeding aIK ] the proportion of 

 protein in the ration must be much 

 greater than for animals not giving milk. 

 Some animals normally give a large 



Breeding animals when pregnant re- 

 quire more nitrogenous foods than other- 

 wise for the nourishment of the grow- 

 ing foetus. The proportion of protein 

 in the ration must be increased. 



In egg production a l so a larger 

 amount of protein is required in the ra- 

 tion than for the simple maintenance 

 of the fowls. Rations suitable for these 

 different purposes will be discussed un- 

 der each of the different animals af- 

 fected. 



WATER FOR ANIMALS 



The bodies of animals, as we have 

 learned, are more than half water. This 



Fig. 38. — GENERAL VIEW OF ARMSBY's RESPIRATION APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE 

 "NET ENERGY" OF FEEDING STUFFS 



quantity of milk but of low quality, 

 while others give a smaller amount of 

 milk but of high quality. From the 

 standpoint of the feeder it is not so 

 much the quantity of milk that must be 

 considered as it is the quality. It is the 

 amount of dry matter produced in the 

 milk which must be made the basis of 

 calculation. The water in the milk is 

 of minor importance from the feeder's 

 standpoint. The various matters per- 

 taining to the selection of rations for 

 dairy cows, the effect of foods on quan- 

 tity and quality of milk, etc, belong to 

 the subject of dairy farming and will 

 be found discussed there. 



water is distributed in every portion of 

 the body including the bones. The soft 

 tissues of the body contain 45 to 75 per 

 cent of water, while the blood is at least 

 SO per cent water. 



"Water serves many different func- 

 tions i n the body. As a diluent of the 

 digestive fluids it permits them to act 

 more efficiently in softening and chemi- 

 cally changing the food constituents 

 into soluble forms. Concentrated food 

 solutions must be diluted before they 

 can be absorbed into the circulation. 

 In the blood and lymph the water serves 

 as a means or transporting the food 



