FEEDING AND FATTENING. 91 



and fles'h producers, enabling them to intelligently increase the 

 feed as needed, so as to ensure desired results. 



food and Increase. 



Sheep fattening on corn with good hay, or alfalfa, com- 

 bined with some roots or other succulent food, will consume on 

 an average of fifteen pounds of the dry substance of the mixed 

 food per 100 pounds of the live weight per week, and should 

 yield over a considerable period of time one part of increase in 

 live weight for about nine parts of the dry substance of their 

 food. The food being of extra good quality, sheep may give a 

 maximum amount of increase for a given amount of total dry 

 substance of food, provided the latter contain as much as five- 

 parts of total non-nitrogenous to one of the nitrogenous com- 

 pounds. Cereals contain on an average rather more than six 

 parts of total non-nitrogenous to one of nitrogenous compounds 

 — the leguminous seeds, such as peas and beans, often not more 

 than two parts to one. 



Oil meal and corn contain rather more than six-sevenths of . 

 their weight of dry siibstance. Turnips and ruta-bagas contain 

 from one-twelfth to one-ninth, and potatoes about one-fourth of 

 their weight of dry substance. With as much as five or six parts 

 of total non-nitrogenous to one of nitrogenous compounds in the 

 dry substance of the fattening food for sheep the increase will 

 probably be very fat. In the earlier stages of feeding it is de- 

 sirable to have a lower proportion of total non-nitrogenous to 

 nitrogenous compounds. 



Cbe proportion of parts. 



In proportion to their weight, sheep yield rather more in- 

 ternal loose fat than oxen. In relation to their weight oxen 

 contain considerably more of stomachs and contents than sheep. 

 Oxen and sheep are proportionately equal in the other internal 



