PRINCIPLES OF STOCK FEEDING 



81 



purposes, and laying fowls of all kinds 

 must be supplied with sufficient mate- 

 rial, like crushed shells or lime, to meet 

 the requirements of egg production. 



Salt for stock — Common salt is the 

 only mineral which ordinarily needs to 

 be supplied to animals in amounts addi- 

 tional to that supplied in the food, ex- 

 cept as noted above for poultry and oc- 

 casionally lime for other animals. Salt 

 is not only absolutely essential to the 



render the fodder savory and is de- 

 manded for the normal nourishment of 

 the animal." 



When salt is fed in excess large quan- 

 tities of water are required for washing 

 it out of the system. If this is not sup- 

 plied in the food, the water is withdrawn 

 first from that normally evaporated 

 from the lungs and skin, and secondly 

 from the tissues of the body itself. 

 The water thus lost from the tissues 



Fig. 40 — CORN AND COWPEAS AS GROWN IN KANSAS 



vital processes, but it has several addi- 

 tional functions. It aids in the passage 

 of the albuminoids of the foods from the 

 digestive tract into the blood vessels and 

 facilitates the circulation of the blood. 

 Armsby states that the feeding of salt is 

 especially in place "when a greater en- 

 ergy of all the vital functions is desired 

 as in horses and well fed working oxen, 

 in young animals, and in male breeding 

 animals, etc, while in fattening only so 

 much should be given as is necessary to 



is replaced when the animal is again 

 given water to drink. When animals 

 are oversalted an excessive thirst is 

 created which if satisfied xesultis in 

 the introduction of excessive quantities 

 of water into the system. This may re- 

 sult in the utilization of food materials 

 for warming up the water and eliminat- 

 ing the excess from the body which 

 would otherwise have been used for pro- 

 ductive purposes. 



