FINISHING CATTLE IN THE STALL OR SHED 137 



quickly. Every exhibitor of fat cattle is conscious of 

 the fact that maximum condition cannot be attained 

 without months of careful feeding previously. Neither 

 may he know the reason why. Dr. P. H. Armsby, in 

 " Cattle Feeding," has made it clear that, before rapid 

 deposition of fat can take place in a lean animal, it must 

 first be brought into a well-nourished condition. This 

 means that the organized and circulatory protein in the 

 body must be increased, by means of which it becomes 

 capable of digesting, resorbing, and storing up protein 

 and fat. Such a condition is brought about by feeding 

 a ration rich in protein rather than in carbohydrates, al- 

 though considerable of the latter is wanted also. For a 

 cattle beast weighing i,ooo pounds a ration containing 

 about 2.5 pounds of protein and about 12.5 pounds of 

 non-nitrogenous substance is considered suitable. This 

 gives a nutritive ratio of 1 15. 



It is very evident, therefore, that the time called 

 for in such preparatory feeding will be greatly influenced 

 by the character of the feeding previously given and by 

 the condition of the animals when the fattening is begun. 

 Animals kept in a good condition of flesh from birth, as 

 wlien growing baby beef, do not really call for any special 

 preliminary feeding before they can take the final finish- 

 ing ration. They are virtually ready for it at any stage 

 of growth, as with them muscle and fat have been put 

 on together from the first. It is evident also that cattle 

 from the range or elsewhere in a fair condition of flesh 

 will not call for so long a preliminary period of feeding 

 as those lean. 



It is not possible, therefore, to say how long a 

 period should be covered by such feeding. It may run 

 all the way from four weeks in ordinary fattening to, 

 say, eight weeks, with about six weeks as an average 

 when the intention is to make the feeding cover not less 

 than 180 days. Any excess of carbohydrates fed during 

 this i)reliminary period not only does not hasten the 



