CHAPTER XX 



FEEDING GROWING ANIMALS 



A DISCUSSION of rations for growing animals relates in 

 large part to the uses of food for constructive purposes. 

 The formation of bone and soft tissue proceeds rapidly 

 in the young organism, the nutrition of which must be 

 adapted in kind and quantity to large demands in this 

 direction. This is true of all young domestic anunals. 



444. The requirements for growth. — ^The actual daily 

 increase in live weight of a well-nourished calf may be as 

 great as that of a mature steer when liberally fed. It is 

 not unusual for the former to gain two poimds a day in 

 weight, and 1.5 pounds is less than would be satisfactory. 

 It is possible to calculate approximately what this growth 

 would require of actual dry matter. The only analysis 

 of a calf's body which is available is that made by Lawes 

 and Gilbert, from which it appears that the entire animal 

 when fat has approximately the following composition: 



Water Ash Protein Fat 



Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent 



64.6 4.8 16.5 14.1 



A gain of 1.5 to 2 pounds live weight means a storage of 

 not less than .24 to .33 pound of dry protein in the 

 animal's body, and the laying on, when the animal is fed 

 for fattening, of .21 to .28 pound of actual fat. Here, 

 then, is an actual daily increase of dry body substance 

 of .45 to .61 pound, which may be equal to one- 



(346) 



