PRINCIPLES OF STOCK FEEDING 



59 



nutrients to every part of the body. In 

 the urine, perspiration and breath it 

 carries away waste material. 



It plays a highly important role in 

 controlling the temperature of the body. 

 By evaporation from the skin it absorbs 

 the body heat and thus reduces the tem- 

 perature. During hard work and with 

 liberal feeding the abundant heat lib- 

 erated would raise the temperature of 

 the body to a dangerously high degree 

 were it not for the increased evapora- 

 tion of water which takes place from the 

 body and thus maintains the normal 

 body temperature. Heavy work in the 

 heated days of haying and harvesting 

 is made possible only by the abundant 

 perspiration of the body which accom- 

 panies it. 



Any failure in the water supply to 

 animals causes serious functional de- 

 rangements. Both digestion and absorp- 

 tion are delayed, the nitrogenous waste 

 materials are only slowly washed out of 

 the tissues, the blood gradually thick- 

 ens, the temperature is raised and the 

 body becomes feverish. There is an in- 

 crease in the consumption of the nitrog- 

 enous and fat tissues of the body which 

 continues until death or until water is 

 supplied in sufficient amount to restore 

 the water content of the body to its 

 normal state. 



Need of water for young animals — 

 Kellner states that young growing ani- 

 mals may be seriously injured in growth 

 and development by a deficiency in the 

 amount of water supplied them. A long 

 continued, insufficient amount of water 

 causes a loss of appetite for solid food, 

 a prominent breaking out and diarrhea 

 — the latter when after a long period of 

 thirst water is again given. For all 

 these reasons animals can live longer 

 without food than without water. 



Amount of water animals require — 

 Animals secure a large part of the water 

 they need in the food supplied them. 

 Additional amounts are usually required, 

 especially if dry feeds are given, and 

 this is supplied as free water. The 

 amount of water that animals require is 

 usually left to the animals themselves, 

 i. e., they are allowed to drink until 

 their thirst is satisfied. There is no 

 danger from over watering unless the 

 animals are compelled to eat watery 

 feeds or are given excessive quantities of 

 salt. It has been found that the actual 

 water requirements of animals for each 



pound of dry matter eaten is about 7 

 to 8 pounds for swine, 4 to 6 pounds 

 for cattle, 2 to 3 pounds for horses and 2 

 to 3 pounds for sheep. More is required 

 in hot weather or hard work, when per- 

 spiration is abundant, than in cooler 

 weather or rest. The above figures in- 

 clude the amount of Avatcr given in the 

 food. 



Fig. 39 ONE WAY OF SECURING A CON- 

 STANT SUPPLY OF GOOD WATER 



Temperature of water — Much has been 

 said regarding the temperature at which 

 water should be drunk. Water when 

 taken into the body must be warmed 

 by the animal to the temperature of 

 the body. If the water is very cold, more 

 heat is required than if it is drunk 

 at a higher temperature. Ordinarily 



