258 PRODUCTIVE FEEDING OF FARM ANIMALS 
feeding: stuffs (concentrates or roots). .With a wider ratio than 
1:10, there will be a depression in the digestibility of the-nutrients, 
and lower results will be obtained than if the ration contained a 
larger amount of protein (p. 69). It was formerly believed that 
the protein in the feed was the source of fat in the body, but it has 
now being established, mainly through the investigations of German 
scientists, as wéll as by the results of practical tests, that the carbo- ‘ 
hydrates of the feed are the main sources of the body fat; protein 
has not; therefore, the importance in the feeding of fattening ani- 
mals as was previously taught, and the Wolff-Lehmann standards 
for fattening cattle are now largely of historical interest only: 
-They call for more protein and narrower nutritive ratio than neces- 
sary, as well as for excessive amounts of total dry substance and 
digestible nutrients, as has been shown by Jordan:? According to 
the latter authority, it seems evident that “under proper condi- 
tions 8 to 10 pounds of dry coarse feed and 15 to 18 pounds of 
grain are all that can generally be fed with greatest profit to a steer 
actually weighing 1000.pounds, and may be even more than is 
utilized by the animal-to the best advantage. Such a ration would 
supply about 16 pounds of digestible organic matter.” 
Rate of Increase.—The rate of increase is more rapid in young 
than in older animals; it is also most rapid in the early stages of 
the fattening, and gradually diminishes toward the close of the 
period, when the animals reach the condition known as “ finished.” 
The rate of gain calculated from statistics covering feeding 
experiments “with more than 50,000 cattle of different ages” is 
given as follows by Wilcox :3 
Average Daily Gain in Young and Old Cattle. 
Vy-year-Old 0.0.0... cece cece e eens 2.3 pounds. 
Tif syearold: «5 ihs or suse scene pone ren eke 2.09 pounds.. 
2Ub-year-Old. .: ckeegew ass bea wk Baa 1.58 pounds. 
BYp-year-Old 6.1... cece cece eee eee eee eee 1.44 pounds. 
AVG VOAr Old) sais ast cacteana tice, gone seated Riess eveos 1.2 pounds. 
The cost of 100 pounds gain produced with calves was $4.98; 
yearlings, $7.23 ; two-year-olds, $7.45 ; three-year-olds, $13.75. 
The cheapest returns in.gain in body weight for the feed eaten 
are obtained with young animals, because the nutritive processes 
are especially active in young life and a larger proportion of the 
increase is water in these animals than in mature ones. Accord- 
ing to Professor Smith, of Minnesota Agricultural College, a two- 
2“ The Feeding of Animals,” p. 345. 
8“ Country Life in America,” July, 1905. 
