270 POULTRY CITLTTJEE 



The relative amount of mineral acids formed in the body- 

 may be greatly modified by a choice of feed stuffs. Alkaline 

 ash is contained in fruits, vegetables, and milk, while acid ash 

 is contained in meat scrap, or meat meal, eggs, cereals, and 

 their by-products. 



The bases are more deficient than the acids. The basic 

 mineral elements in a ration must be in quantities correspond- 

 ing to the protein, since the sulphur and phosphorus of the 

 feed proteins constitute the principle sources of mineral 

 acids in the body. The excess of mineral bases in the feed 

 must be maintained at a high level. In practice animals do 

 not experience injurious excesses of alkali as they do excess 

 of acid. A needless amount of protein unnecessarily taxes 

 the acid-neutralizing capacity of the animal and if carried to 

 a sufficient extreme, results either in interference of the 

 formation of bone or in malnutrition of the same. A high 

 fat-content, or indigestible character of the fat of milk fed to 

 individuals suffering from digestive disturbances, causes acid 

 intoxication through withdrawal of alkalies by way of the 

 feces. 



Drought conditions or poverty of the soil in minerals may 

 affect the ash content of the feeds. If the soil is poor in 

 calcium and phosphorus the crop will be correspondingly poor. 

 Such feeds will hmit the growth and development of bone. If 

 a sufficient amount of vegetables, fruits, and milk are given 

 there is not likely to be an excess of mineral acids above the 

 capacity of the body to neutralize. Clover and alfalfa are 

 especially rich in calcium and hence are excellent, either as 

 pasturage, cut green or ground and fed in the mash, to make 

 good deficiencies in such grains as corn. 



Aid to Construction of Tissues. — Bone contains calcium 

 in the form of calcium phosphate, carbonate, and fluoride. It 

 contains magnesium in the form of phosphate of magnesium. 

 There is also present sodium chloride. 



The fluids contain approximately 0.85 per cent, sodium 

 chlorid. 



Protein bodies, feathers, and horn contain sulphur. 



The hemoglobin of the red blood corpuscle contains iron. 

 The nucleus of cells as the white blood cell contains phosphorus, 



