384 MANUAL OF OATTLE-FEEDING. 



the fat o£ the body, as well as on its flesh, could be ascer- 

 tained. 



The expeiiments were made on full-grown (four and 

 a half years old) sheep of the coarse-wooled variety of 

 the neighborhood of Gottingen (so-called Leine sheep), 

 weighing per head about 106 lbs. They were fed exclu- 

 sively on average meadow hay, and consumed it at the rate 

 of almost exactly 26 lbs. per 1,000 lbs. live-weight (shorn 

 weight), an amount corresponding to 21.4 lbs. of dry matter. 

 From this ration 1.32 lbs. of protein and 10.53 lbs. of non- 

 nitrogenous matter (including 0.^23 lbs. of fat) were di- 

 gested. If for the fat be substituted its equivalent in 

 starch, the amoimt of non-nitrogenous matter becomes 



jLX.Ou iL)S. 



This ration caused a small gain, viz., O.lSl lbs- of protein 

 and 0.299 lbs. of fat per day and 1,000 lbs. live weight. It 

 was accordingly abundantly sufHcient to maintain the ani- 

 mals without really fattening them. If the gain of protein 

 and fat be subtracted from the above ration (the fat being 

 reduced to its equivalent amount of starch by multiplying 

 it by 2.5), we shall have tlie following amounts : 



Rolsein 114 pounds. 



Carbhydrates, j ^ ^^ ^^ ,« 



Fat, ) 



Total dry matter 29 00 *' 



Nutntive ratio 1 : 9.3 



In reality, however, a greater deduction should be made, 

 at least from the protein, mnce changes in the amount 

 of this nutrient affect the consumption of protein far more 

 than its gain or loss. It is therefore probable that the 

 above quantities would have been rather more than suffi- 

 cient to nraintain the sheep. 



