FOOD KEQrilM'.l) ]\\ STocK 



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nienters. if allowaiici- he lu.-ulc Wm ili,. Mip.-ri.)!- tatiniiip^' 

 (|ualities of the English .stork. I'rol.al.ly at thr prcsmt day 

 l)()tli the e.stiiiiates c)f the amount of food refpiinMl per (hCm and 

 tlie rate of increase should he raised, liccausc of the ininrc.vc- 

 ments that have been effected in the hrccils of onr sheep and 

 cattle. The modern farm animal is in fact a more ellicient meat 

 producing machine than it was fifty years ago. capal.le of 

 dealing with more food and of growing more rapidly to 

 maturity, thus shortening the time during which food has to he 

 consumed for purposes of pure maintenance only. It i> in t In- 

 direction that new experiments and additional data are geiieralh 

 needed, for we know nothing of the relative capacities of 

 modern breeds of farm animals as meat producers or of their 

 digestive powers for various foods. Due economy in feeding i.- 

 only possible if the practical man can check his opinitius by 

 reference from time to time to exact determinations of the re- 

 ([uirements of different animals at various stages of their growth. 



Others of the pig experiments showed how much less (jf 

 the food is utilised for increase as the fattening advances, 

 partly because as the animal increases in size it consumes more 

 food for purposes of warmth and internal work than before, 

 partly also because the increase made during the latter period is 

 more fatty and therefore drier than in the earlier stages. 



The following tal)le shows the rates of increase of pigs fed 



Table XO. — Fattening I'ujs. Weekly Consumption of Food, nnd rati- 

 of Increase. 



