Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-04-27
Feeding Growing Animals.

The feeding of growing animals is
not reduced to a science, for the reason
that while there is a recognized differ
ence between the nutritive process in
young and mature animals, there has
not been much scientific study of the
former, and the estimate of feeding
growing animals is largely based upon
| our knowledge of the natritive process
in mature animals. But the results of
feeding in the two cases are of course
| very different. The most of the food
consumed by grown animals is used to
keep up the vital processes, and COM
.parative little of it goes to the produce
ton of muscles, bones and other tissues.
The waste is repaired, and fat is made,
but little, if any, additional bone or
muscle is contributed. In the young
animal, on the other hand, the most of
food consumed is converted into addi-
| tional muscle, bone and other tissues.
Careful experiments have been made,
however, in feeding, and the results are
interesting. Soxhlet, of Vienna, ex-
permented on three calves from eight
to thirty days old, and it was found that
a calf from two to three weeks old, and
weighing hundred pounds, would con-
sumo per day 1920 pounds of fresh milk
0.93 of dry matter, O.49 pounds of pro-
tein, O.48 pound of fat, 0.84 pound milk
sugar, and O.13 pound ash), and that
the average gain of weight per day was
135 pounds. The milk was it was found
was almost wholly digested, only about
2.3 per cent of the dry matter appear
ing in the excrement. In the first place
it will be seen that the food produced
much larger increase in weight than it
would in mature animal, pound of
dry matter making almost pound of
weight.
But all that this shows is that the
growing animal needs something that is
readily digestible, and that having this
it will utilize almost all of it. Except
ing that in its early life milk is the prop
er food for the calf, however-which we
should know without this experiment
no indication is given as to what shall
follow it when the calf becomes older,
and no further following of the subject
will determine this, except as we proceed
upon general principles. For few
days after birth it is very important that
the calf have the milk of its own mother,
for the milk then contains far more dry
matter and relatively less fat and sugar
than it does week later. So far as
these differences are concerned, it will
not matter after that time whether the
calf is fed upon the milk of its mother
or upon some other milk. Milk contains
all that the animal system needs, as we
all know from general experience.
There is no part of the system that it
will not supply; and whatever substitute
is made for milk it must as nearly APP
proach to it in composition as possible.
Nature must be initiated. It should be
especially of easy digestibility, and it
should be fed while warm.
When weaving. time comes, the
change from milk feeding to other feed
should be made in such a way as to
cause no falling off in condition, but
rather so that there shall be a constant
growth and increase of weight, It
should, therefore, be gradual, and the
substitutes should be something that the
animal will relish,r should be digestible
and nourishing. Crushed and boiled
faxseed is a good thing for this pur-
Epose.a In short time oil cake, oats.
barley, and malt sprouts may be fed, ]
and the animal can have fine, tender
hay, that not only being good for it, but
|. feeding it will accustom it to eat the
coarse folders. IL the calves can be
put upon pasture, weaving will accom-
I push ltSeI, Ul6 When bniS Is 11HDosSloIc,
|. the course above prescribed will be fol-
lowed, and in about ten weeks the
weaving will be complete.
It must be remembered in weaning,or
rather after weaving, that the stomach
of the young animal cal, not at first hold
and digest large quantities of coarse
fodder. Its food must be concentrated,
therefore,. containing large nutritive
qualities in a small space Western Ru.
raj.