14 



COMPOSITION OF THE ANIMAL BODY 



of this carbohydrate material, it is changed into fats and as 

 such is deposited on the body of the animal. 



Feeds high in carbohydrate material are the cereal 

 grains : corn, oats, rye, barley, rice, and buckwheat, which 

 contain large amounts of starch. Potatoes contain a high 

 percentage of starch, sugar beets a high proportion of sugar, 

 and the stems of grasses a large amount of crude fiber. 



Fats. — Fats comprise a group of substances of varying 

 composition. They are made up of carbon, hydrogen, and 

 oxygen, with a relatively high percentage of carbon in their 

 composition. In animals, fats may be considered as food 

 stored against the time of need. 



Because of their high carbon content fats liberate in burn- 

 ing about 2I times as much heat or energy as do carbo- 

 hydrate substances ; hence fats are said to have 2 j times 

 the energy value of carbohydrates. The percentage of fat 

 in feed varies from .1 per cent in sugar beets to 39.6 per cent 

 in peanuts. In animals it may vary from 15 per cent in the 

 fat calf to 45 per cent or more in the body of the fat sheep. 



Fig. 2. — Peanuts contain a high percentage of fat. 



