126 THE BUSINESS OF DAIRYING 



hand if the cow is fed in calfhood largely carbona- 

 ceous and fat-forming foods, whatever breed we may 

 have at the start, we must expect, as a result of 

 this method of feeding, an animal having a tendency 

 to lay on flesh readily and with dairy qualities 

 poorly developed. After a cow has begun to pro- 

 duce milk, still more attention should be given to 

 supplying her with a balanced ration if large yields 

 are to be obtained. 



The proper feeding of a dairy cow is a science 

 which may be defined as supplying food in the right 

 proportion to meet her various requirements with- 

 out a waste of food nutrients. The chemist and the 

 animal physiologist have carefully worked out the 

 principles of feeding. It is left for the dairyman then 

 to know his arithmetic and to spend a little time in 

 learning the composition, digestibility and charac- 

 teristics of the different food stuffs and in studying 

 the needs of his individual animals. Careful study 

 has been made of these with different animals under 

 different conditions and the requirements of animals 

 for the various food nutrients when at rest, at work, 

 giving milk, producing wool, pork, beef, mutton, etc. 

 The applications of the various feeding stuffs in 

 practice, their cost and special adaptations must, of 

 course, be considered. 



Composition of the animal body. — In order that 

 we may have an intelligent idea of the feeding prob- 

 lems and work out practical methods, we will discuss 

 briefly the various substances found in the animal 

 body. 



Water. — The principal constituent, in respect to 



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