FEEDS FOR ANIMALS 77 



animals on farms die and their owners do not know the cause, 

 because the minerals are such a small part of the ration they 

 are sometimes forgotten. While all natural feeds contain 

 some of this material they usually do not contain enough. 



Salt is perhaps the most important of the minerals needed. 

 One of the best ways to feed salt is to keep it before the 

 animals in a trough or box where they can get it at all times. 

 If they have not had salt for a time care should be exercised 

 not to give them too much at a time till they get used to it. 

 If they eat more than a limited amount it will, as already 

 said, cause scours. In the case of pigs it will also cause death. 

 Other mineral substances that can frequently be used to ad- 

 vantage are ground limestone, or air-slaked lime, bone meal, 

 hardwood ashes, and charcoal. These can be fed in the same 

 manner as salt. 



Animals can get along for several weeks without protein or 

 carbohydrates. But during such time they use the protein 

 tissue, muscle, glands, etc., and the fat tissue from their 

 bodies. They can perhaps also get along without fat in the 

 ration for a long time because the carbohydrates will in part 

 take the place of fat. But no animal, except the camel, 

 can get along more than a few days without water. Most 

 animals have very small storage capacity for water and a great 

 deal is needed. 



From all of this it can readily be seen why it is so much 

 more difficult to feed babies and young animals than older 

 animals. The very young animals have not yet had time to 

 provide stores of the materials named for possible emergencies. 



WATER 



Water makes up the largest part of the ration for most farm 

 animals. It is used to soften the feeds eaten so they can be 

 more easily masticated and swallow-ed, to assist in digestion, 

 to carry on the work of transportation, to enter into the tissue 

 as a part of the structure and to help regulate body temperature. 



As a Solvent. — Digestion, as already shown is a process of 

 solution. If sugar is put into a glass of water it is dissolved. 

 So, also, is it dissolved in the stomach. To bo sure, there are 

 various digestive agents in the body, such as saliva, gastric 



