igi2.] 



The Feeding of Farm Stock. 



98; 



their welfare and comfort should be objects of special care, all 

 harshness or irregularity being avoided. 



To sum up, it is of fundamental importance in the rearing 

 of young stock that all the conditions of feeding, exercise, 

 treatment and environment shall be such as to favour natural 

 development. So far as the food is concerned, this should be 

 liberal in quantity, well supplied with albuminoids, oil and 

 useful mineral matters, of the best quality, and thoroughly 

 suitable in every way. 



Many feeders modify the treatment of young stock accord- 

 ing to the purpose for which they are subsequently intended, 

 a somewhat heavier and richer ration being given to those 

 that are subsequently to be fattened when full-grown than 

 to those that are to form the future breeding stock. In 

 the former case the qualities desired are size and early 

 maturity, whereas in the latter other qualities are desired 

 which a tendency to fleshiness would in most cases be likety 

 to impair, e.g., the milk-yielding propensities of heifers. 



Fattening Young Stock. — The fattening of young animals 

 affords a somewhat different case from the simple rearing of 

 the young animal to maturity. In the former case it is neces- 

 sary to secure a production of fatty tissue alongside the normal 

 growth of the animal. This is effected by a more liberal 

 feeding and more restricted exercise. 



The fattening increase is largely composed of fat, so that 

 the extra food need not be specially rich in albuminoids. In 

 this respect it should be intermediate in character between 

 that supplied for purposes of growth solely and that given for 

 fattening purposes to a full-grown animal of the same class. 

 In other respects the conditions outlined above should be 

 closely observed. 



Fattening Adult Animals. — The fattening of full-grown 

 animals is mainly a conversion of food into body-fat, very 

 little albuminoid matter being contained in the fattening 

 increase. The additional food required in excess of the main- 

 tenance ration (i.e., the ration required to keep the animals in 

 "store" condition) may therefore consist largely of digestible 

 oil, carbohydrates, and fibre. For reasons already explained 

 (p. 906), however, it is not desirable that the preponderance 

 of carbohydrates, &c, should be greater than is represented 



3 Y 2 



