Rations for Farm Stock. 



i53 



fat formation as 2*4 pounds of sugar (digested carbo- 

 -hydrates), the fats are multiplied by 2*4 to bring them to 

 carbohydrate value ; and the ratio of the albuminoid 

 matter in any food to this carbohydrate value is called 

 the albuminoid ratio of that food. For example, the albumi- 

 noid ratio of oats is said to be 1 to 6*9, that is 1 part 

 by weight of albuminoid matter to 6*9 parts of fat and 

 carbohydrates both expressed in carbohydrate value or sugar 

 ^equivalent, or, as the farmer might say, one part of flesh-forming 

 food to nearly 7 of fattening food. Referring to the above Table 

 for the composition of oats, we find that they contain 8 per cent, 

 ■of digestible albuminoids, 4*3 of fat, and 447 of carbohydrates, 

 and to find the albuminoid ratio from these figures, we multiply 

 .4*3 by 2-4 to bring the fat to carbohydrate value, and add the 

 result (10*32) to the 447 of carbohydrate, getting a total of 5 5*02 ; 

 then dividing this by the 8 of albuminoids we get as quotient 6y, 

 or an albuminoid ratio of ito 6*9 ; or expressed in arithmetical 

 form (4*3 x 2*4+447) + 8 = 6*9. A ratio is spoken of as narrower 



• or wider according as the difference between the two numbers 

 is less or more ; thus, 1 to 4 is a narrower ratio than 1 to 8. 



In devising rations for farm stock the following principles 

 have to be observed : — 



1. The albuminoid ratio required by a sucking animal is 

 about 1 to 3 h } as in new milk ; by half-grown cattle and sheep, 

 growing and fattening at the same time, 1 to 4 or 5 ; by a cow 

 in full milk, or a growing and fattening pig, 1 to 5 or 6 ; and by 



an adult animal simply fattening, or by a working horse, 1 to 8. 



2. Ruminant animals, as cattle and sheep, must have bulky 

 matter in their diets, such as grass, hay, straw- and roots, and are 

 well capable of dealing with crude fibre like that contained in 

 straw and hay. Pigs, on the other hand, require a more concen- 

 trated food, and are not adapted for feeding on crude fibre ; and 



• even horses, while digesting corn quite as well as or even better 

 than sheep and cattle, can only digest straw to half and grass 

 and hay to four-fifths the extent that ruminants can. 



3. Cows require a diet that shall be somewhat relaxing to 

 the bowels, so that when grass is not available roots, old-land 

 .hay, bran, or small quantities of linseed or treacle have to be 

 relied on for keeping them right in this matter. 



