MANUAL OF OATTLE-PEEDI^TG. 13S 



place, from that excreted by evaporation tlirongh the Imigs 

 and Kskin, and, if this ib not sufficient, from the body itself. 

 The live weight can therefore sbik rapidly when large 

 doses of salt and little water are given, while afterward, 

 on the other hand, if more water is drunk, nmch of it may 

 be laid up in the tissues, and the live-weight of the animal 

 be a«:ain increased. 



Influence of Water on the Protein Consumption. 

 — Giving too large quantities of salt to animals is to be 

 avoided for still another reason, viz. ; that the animals are 

 led to drink large quantities of water, if they have access 

 to it- This causes an increased protein consumption, that 

 is, an increased destruction of valuable fodder materials, 

 especially when the larger quantity of water is not retained 

 in tiie tissues but is rapidly removed by an inci-eased ex- 

 cretion o£ urine. 



Experiments by Voit on fasting animals showed an in- 

 crease of thfe protein consumption in this way by as nuich 

 as 25 per cent., and, according to observations by Ilenne- 

 berg,* in Weende, on oxen, the increase of the protein 

 consumption, when the amount of water was increased 

 22,4 per cent., averaged 5.8 per cent. Even the last named 

 increase is by no means insignificant ; it amounts to a third, 

 or perhaps even a half of the protein which otherwise 

 might have been deposited in the body. In any case, in 

 order to get the most advantageous results possible, espe- 

 cially in the feeding of young animals and in fattening, 

 w^e must avoid evervthinsc which involves or leads to an 

 excessive use of water ; e, g,, too watery fodder, too high 

 a temperature of the stall, too much salt, too much move- 

 ment, etc. This is niore especially to be observed in re- 

 gard to sheep, since these animals drink voluntarily much 



lit (.i 



Keuc Btitnige," etc., Ib71, i> od7. 



