The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-09-05
The Feeding vaIue of Foods.
Phnsdelphia Reeora !


The feeding of animals With foods contain
ing the proper proportions Of substancei
necessary 10 promote growth fat il a very
important branch OF knowledge. and TIA jse
who fully understand how To procure the
largest supply of available matter from the
several kinds of feed allowed to stock viii
derive more satisfactory results than thO5s
who feed as routine, without having say
special purpose to aCcOmplish by SO doing
Although animals are not confined 10 any
particular diet exclusively, where they Ca
be allowed A variety. yet all that can be OBJ
tanned from The feed. whether IL be cOncsn
tratsd or bulky, Is classed under tle heads Of
protein. carbon ydrates fat and ash. Pro
TEN is that subs ance which is principally
found in lean meat the white of eggs aud in
the blood, being heterogeneous, while the car
bo-hydTatss include starch, woody lib II
sugar etc. aud derive the name from tue
fact that they are c0mDOSed tho matter in
what form We possess them) of carb IN.
hydrogen and oxygen. Fat exists IN pla ITS
also, but in small quantities. Ash relates to
The mineral substances, which supplies the
bones and tissues.
As the matter which is appropriated by
the animal is composed OF these four sub
stances-pr0tein, carbohydrates, fat aud a,h
lit IL at once apparent that, in order to feed
TO the best advantage some consideration
must be given the character of the foO1 al
lowed, and, inste4d OF feeding iadiscrim ate
1y, certain quantities and proportions must
be used. Many valuable experiments have
been made for the purpose OF testing grain
fedders, in order TO esglm ate their value for
feeding, and We are gradually arriving to
that point at which the aid OF investigate IS
Will be used in order TO feed animals acc Ird
ing to age. period of growth and weight OF
carcass. For instance. By the use of
100 pounds OF ordinary hay the supply
of digestible Dutriment win be fraction
over hve pounds OF portein, forty-thres
g l@,vl- 81 ~ !
of fat, while only pound OF portein eau b.
extrs eted from the same 1aHtity of digsstI-
bic material in mangOids, With ten pounds OF
carbohydrates and no fsf. The difference
between the nutritious matter of hay and
mangOlds at once enables ths st1ck-breeder
to discard the mangOlds altogether or uss
less quantity OF hay and supply the deficiency
with mang0lds- Any number of substances
can be used provided they are fed proper.
tionately to value, the object being 20 neither
have an excess nor deficit OF any substance
that enters into the composition of the 0dy.
What is given in the shape of bulky ma
terial, such as hay and straw. can also be
fonnd in grains, which possess nutriment 10
q more concentrated form. Using wheat
straw as compared with corn, the straw con-
tains about three pounds OF protein to the 100
pounds, while corn contains over ten. Il is
necessary, therefore, to lessen the supply Of
straw and add corn to com plete the proper
ton of protein: anS as the straw contains
about 40 per cent. Of Grade fiber, which is al
most useless, while corn contains less than
per cent, the waists in the system is much
less from the corn. The straw, though con-
tanning less fat, contains larger amount OF
esh, and there IS no kind of materal used
that is deficient in one direction but what is
overabundant in other respects.
By directing attention to the study OF food
composition there is another object TO inn
press on the stock feeder, which is that b.
feeding a variety of food the animal will
grow tester. fatten more readily aud keep IN
healthier condition than by using single
article OF diet Although it is not every
farmer who makes il duty to feed for nn-
tritive value only, yet they know by eK-
perience that certain foods give certain re-
suits; but the 6eld is still open for NOR
knowledge in that direction, and every farm.
er should avail himself of the privileges o;
obtaining It