32 EIvEMENTAKY TREATISE ON STOCK FEEDS AND FEEDING 



of Lawes and Gilbert. These investigators analyzed the whole 

 bodies of ten animals of different ages, degrees of fatness and 

 species. The results of these investigations are included in the 

 table on page 33. 



Water. — ^As already stated, the animal body contains a great 

 deal of water, but perhaps many will be surprised to find that 

 there is so much of this constituent in the animal. The water 

 is present in the free state in the tissues and blood, and generally 

 represents about 50 per cent, of the weight of the animal. Young 

 animals contain more water than mature animals, as is shown 

 in the water content of the calf and the ox. Active cells in 

 animals contain more water than do the older or less active cells 

 and this may account for the larger percentage of water found 

 in young animals. It is also true that lean animals contain 

 more water than fat animals, and the condition or degree of fat- 

 ness influences the percentage of water in the animal body. The 

 lean sheep contains 13.9 per cent, more water than the fat sheep; 

 the fat sheep, 8.2 per cent, more than the extra fat sheep; the 

 half- fat ox, 6 per cent, more than the fat ox; and the lean pig, 

 13.8 per cent, more than the fat pig. In fattening, animals store 

 up fat, and the fatty substances do not replace the water, but an 

 increase in fat in the animal body means an increase in dry mat- 

 ter. This accounts for fat animals containing less water than 

 lean animals. It also explains why there is more meat in the 

 fat animal than in the lean animal, and hence the preference given 

 the fat animal at the markets. 



Ash. — ^There is not a comparatively large amount of mineral 

 matter in the animal body. As the animal matures there seems 

 to be a decrease in the percentage of mineral matter. The half- 

 fat ox contains 0.74 per cent, more ash. than the fat ox; the lean 

 sheep, 0.35 per cent, more than the fat sheep; and the lean pig, 

 1.02 per cent, more than the fat pig. There is also a variation of 

 mineral matter in the species. The ox contains more mineral 

 matter than the sheep and the sheep more than the pig. During 

 fattening there is a difference in the increase of mineral matter 

 in the different animals; pigs do not add as great a percentage 

 as oxen, and oxen do not add as much as sheep. 



