THE FEEDING OF ANIMALS 45 



part of the protein. When the food leaves the stomach, it enters 

 the small intestines, where it comes in contact with two digestive 

 fluids — the bile from the liver, 

 and the pancreatic juice from the 

 pancreas. The bile prepares the 

 partly digested food for the ac- 

 tion of the pancreatic juice and 

 changes the fats. The pancreatic 

 juice has a more complex func- 

 tion. It contains at least three 

 distinct ferments, one changing 

 the proteids, another the starch, 

 and the third the fats. As the ^L^JJ/ chITZTh^k ulZ 

 material passes along the intes- 

 tines it comes in contact with a juice secreted by the walls 

 of the intestines and which acts upon the starch, but there is 

 little action on the proteids or fats. From the time the food 

 enters the stomach, during its entire course along the digestive 

 tract, in some way not wholly understood, the digested food has 

 been absorbed and received into vessels, through which it is 

 distributed to the various parts of the body. A part of the food 

 materials, however, in passing through the digestive tract, es- 

 cape digestion. The amount of food digested depends on the 

 kind of food, the amount fed, the class of animal, and on the 

 condition of the animal's health. 



Size of digestive organs. — The length and capacity of the di- 

 gestive organs of the various farm animals differ widely. Among 

 ruminating animals, — those capable of re-chewing the previ- 

 ously swallowed food, — the cow, sheep, and goat, the stomach 

 is a very complicated organ. It has four divisions or sacks 

 called paunch, honeycomb, many-plies, and rennet. The 

 paunch is very large and may be considered as a reservoir for the 

 storage of bulky foods. Because of this provision, ruminating 

 animals can be fed on foods containing much more bulk than can 



