[912.] The Feeding of Farm Stock. 905 



carbohydrates and fibie can only serve for the production of 

 heat, mechanical energy, and fat or other non-nitrogenous 

 materials (e.g., milk-sugar). It is theoretically possible, 

 therefore, to satisfy the requirements of animals with a purely 

 albuminoid diet, but in farm practice this is neither attainable 

 nor desirable, since albuminoids are both expensive to supply, 

 and if fed too liberally are liable to cause serious derangement 

 of health. Moreover, it has just been pointed out that for 

 the production of heat, energy, and fat, albuminoids are far 

 inferior to oils, and little if at all superior to carbohydrates, 

 whereas their digestion and utilisation place a greater strain 

 upon the system. It is thus desirable for many reasons that 

 the supply of albuminoids in the food shall be kept down as 

 far as possible to little more than the minimum amount neces- 

 sary to support those functions that other nutrients cannot 

 support. Exceptions to this rule arise in the feeding of young 

 stock and working animals, and will be dealt with later. 



The fate of the albuminoids within the body is largely 

 influenced by the amount of carbohydrates, oil, and other non- 

 albuminoid matters by which they are accompanied in the 

 ration. It is customary to group together all these digestible 

 non-albuminoid matters in one quantity, the oil being multi- 

 plied by 2 '4 (or, say, 2 J) in order to make due allowance for 

 its high nutritive value. The ratio of the digestible albu- 

 minoids to the sum of the digestible non-albuminoids arrived 

 at in this way is then referred to as the " albuminoid ratio." 

 For example, a sample of oats containing 8 per cent, of 

 digestible albuminoids, 4 per cent, of ^digestible oil, and 

 47*4 per cent, of digestible carbohydrates (and fibre) will have 

 an albuminoid ratio of 1 to 7*1, arrived at thus: — 



(4-0 x 2-4) + 47-4 9 '6 + 47 "4 57 "Q _ 7'J 

 8 8 8 1' 



In the case of a few foods (treacle, potatoes, "roots," malt 

 coombs), the "amides" are relatively abundant and need to 

 be taken into account in calculating the ratio. The common 

 practice is to regard them simply as heat-formers, with a value 

 for this purpose about three-quarters of that of the carbo- 

 hydrates. For example, the albuminoid ratio of swedes con- 

 taining 0*3 per cent, of digestible albuminoids, 0*5 per cent, 

 of "amides," o*i per cent, of digestible oil, and 8 per cent, of 

 digestible carbohydrates (and fibre) will be 1 to 29, thus : — 



