FOOD REQUIRED BY THE HERBIVORA. 687 



This proportion may be reached in the administration of suitable 

 amounts of hay with some concentrated food, or clover-hay with chopped 

 straw. When severe work is required it is advisable to increase the 

 quantity of fat given (as by adding some oil-cake), the nutritive propor- 

 tion being brought to 1:6. 



Working oxen can stand a larger amount of raw food (hay, etc.) 

 than horses. If rapid work is required of horses, a rich albuminous food 

 such as oats must be given ; if prolonged work is demanded, one richer 

 in fat, as corn , is better. 



If animals are fed for food purposes an increase in the solids and 

 digestible matter of the food is requisite ; so the appetite must be 

 stimulated, and yet overloading of the alimentary canal avoided. It is, 

 therefore, advisable gradually to increase the amount of the usual food, 

 to stimulate the secretion by small quantities of salt, if possible, to aid 

 digestion by a previous preparation of the food, such as by giving ground 

 meal, and so to choose the foods that the waste of the organism will be 

 at a minimum. 



At the commencement of such fattening, the organism must be made 

 rich with albumen : so thin animals must receive a large amount of 

 digestible food, with an extra proportion of fat and carbohydrates, since 

 we have found that under such circumstances there will be least waste of 

 albuminoids. This is accomplished by feeding for about two weeks with 

 2.5 kilos albumen and 12.5 kilos non-nitrogenous matters per thousand 

 kilos body weight, thus giving a nutritive proportion of 1:5. Then the 

 non-nitrogenous matters must be increased to from 12.5 to 16.25 kilos per 

 thousand kilos body weight, so making the proportion 1 : 6.5. When the 

 economy becomes rich in albumen and then commences to put on fat, the 

 albumen of the food may be increased to 3.0 kilos, making a proportion 

 of 1:5.5; when it becomes very fat, the solids, especially the indigestible 

 solids, must be reduced, and some oil-cake added to the food. 



In fattening oxen the water given should be in the proportion of 

 4-5:1 of the solids given, in sheep 2-3 : 1. 



In fattening sheep it has been proved that highly albuminous foods 

 are especially valuable. Ground beans may be used far this purpose 

 (0.5 kilo daily) combined with hay, In fattening sheep the preparatory 

 treatment necessary with cattle may be usually dispensed with, and the 

 diet more rapidly changed from one poor in nitrogenous matters (1 : 5.5) 

 to one rich in proteids (1 : 4.5). The diet for sheep must not be too rich 

 in water, so beets are not as valuable as with cattle ; the best results are 

 obtained from feeding with good hay and a corresponding amount of 

 crushed beans or cereals. Sheep fatten more rapidly after shearing than 

 before, for then the appetite is better and the thirst less. 



Young animals which are designed for food purposes will slowly take 



