Arizona republican., 1910-04-25

THE study of the science of cattle feed
 ing has received a great dea! of atten-
 tion during late years. Fortunately, while knowledge of the results of the nu- merous investigations would be of great aid tothe thorough understanding of the subject, IS not essential to success for the prac- nee oi some experienced feeders leaves little 10 De desired They probably have learned much from their forefathers and this to- setner with long experience with the same Kind or cattle and feeding stufYs, and the natural instincts of q feeder, has enahed them te become somewhat proficient in the arr oI feeding There are. however. many farmers both old and young who have not been 3eo.eathed any valuable experience ana further, there are or the market to-day srest variety of nov foods about which very httIe is known. Consequently there arc many reasons why we should look into the cattle foods
 Before king up the percentage co,nposI ton of the foods. jet us look at the functions of the various constituents which ara con- tained m these ,nateriaIs
 When we xtudy the nature of the food of plants we find that from such simple sub siaEees as csroon dioxide. nitric acid. water and Few ssits. plant is capable of con- structfnx grest variety of elaborate com pounds. It sccomplishes these surprising transformations by consumption. of energy (sunlighO external to itself. An animal has no such constructive power. The animal frame is built up of food compounds which are simply transformed into similar body compounds. or it may be produced by the splitting up partial combustion of some of the food constituents in the body The animal derives no aid from external energy The temperature Of the animal body fabout 100 degrees Fo is maintained by heat gen erated within the body by combustion of materials eaten as food. The energy required for masticatfng food, pumping blood through the system. walking. drawing loads. etc. is also derived from the food eaten The source of the heat and force in the body is the food.
 The parts of foods which furnish the substances for body material and for heat and energy are; CD Protein. @ fat t3) carbohydrates and SJ4) ash material
 There is always certain ariount of food reiured to maintain an animal in a condi- tion that il will neither gain nor lose. for energy must be expended in niasticating and dlgestine the food, circulating the blood through the body. etc. If the animal is of a restless. nervous disposition, it will re- quire more food than If 1t Is of quiet even disposition. Food must be provided all these factors before any of 1t will go to. the pro- duction of fat or milk. and 1t is the amount of fcod that the animal receives over the quantity required for supplying energy for these factors. or the maintenance dfe. as it is spoken Of which affects the gain Ii body weight CT the yield of milk. Conse- qtently, it is evident that there can be no profit in feeding a maintenance diet to COW giving milk. Or the contrary. the aim should be to get the COW to eat a maximum amount of food in order that there may be large surplus for production. In this way much smaller proportion of the food goes for main tenance and a larger proportion to produc- ton purposes with a corresponding increase in the profits. Naturally it must follow that the animal which will eat the largest amount of food and which at the same time s of such . disposition as to require small amount for mafntenancs spnrpcses, E the most profitable one.
 We have named the chief constituents of foods in the animal body. We shall now con- i.