The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1914-02-20
NTS OF FEEDS
AND THEIR RELATION
TO THE ANIMAL
BY GUY 6. YOUNGBERG,
Assistant Chemist at State College

BY a knowledge of a few fundament-
al facts regarding feeding stuffs one
should be able to put feeds to their
mos intelligent use and therefore get
the most value possible out of them
IN other words. increase profits and
diminish losses.
Our common feeding materials all
contain the five substances necessary
Tor carrying on h normal functions
OF all animals, viz. prOteins, fats, a
bohydfates, mineral matter and water
tcalled moisture as it occurs in foods).
In addition, lavoring substances are
nearly always at hand which are not
necessary but often serve a good pur-
pose though sometimes are harmful
Let US take a brief review Of these
five very important substances.
The proteins are those organic sub
stances which among other elements
contain particularly nitrogen and
serve for the great part to form mus
Gle and tissue. No other substance
so far as is known can take the place
and hence their importance. They
are exemplified by the white of egg.
the casein of milk, the gluten OF
bread, and par excellence by the flesh
of animals.
Fats are we'll known to all. They
are used by the animal to form heat,
energy and reserve fat.
The carbohydrates. like the fat,
contain only carbon, hydrogen and OK
ygen. but lack nitrogen; they are
therefore not muscle builders. They
serve the same purpose as fats. Tx
amples of carbohydrates are sugar,
starch and %cellulose.
The mineral MISUNDERSTANDING
those that remain on burning. Exam
pies Of these are salt, calcium phos.
plate, lime and nitrate Of potash.
Their use tic the animal can not be
as wen defined as the preceding one,
but a important use is their regu-
lation of os1notic pressure and also
IS building material for bones. Min
eral matters as q rule are always
present In large enough proportion SC
that We do not have to ray amy aSten.
tion 70 them. Exception. Feeding
corn a1one produces weak bones il
hogs en- account Of a lack of miner.
ais.
Water 81 course is essential for al
living organisms and must be siyan In
greater amounts than occur in any
foods. III serves. among other pur.
poses. to feaa ua the body fluids aud
to regulate tie bodr heat - evanora-
ton through tile shin and to carry
away waste.
Fiavortne substances have no value
in the aafmaI economy hit often seTve
as i stimulus. for instance. they may
hy their lasts Gauss increased score
tion Of digestive Juices which are
very necessary to assimilation. But
they may also cauee an animal to
overeat. II il net necessary ar wise
to add such substances to feeds. 4
common example Of the folly Is the
use Of fuennercek IN so-called stock
foods.
Man. and likewise stock, require
four-ffths Of al dry matter in foods
to he burned III the body for the
production of energy il the form Of
heal to keep warm and move about.
Carbohydrates and fats being ener-
gy formers, are therefore necessary
in relatively large amount. Protein
can give only some - per cent Of its
value for the production Of heat.
Care then can and should be exercised
to see that no one Of these factors are
lacking. but that all are fed in relative
proportion as an animal can use, 9TH
erwise they will be thrown off as
waste. Hence the value Of manure.
However, il general an animal does
rot digest and assimilate all availa-
bic matter fed. The amount depends
on the eater as we'll as the particular
feed. For instance, feeding oil meal
alone would in all probability bring
about d waste in that II has relatively
too much fat and protein and not
enough Of carbohydrates. It would
for other reasons cause a strong
securing. in other words the ration
should III that case be more balanced,
hat il. to feed the risht relative pro-
portions Of tho constituents.
The Ter cent of a food consumed Of
aten 10 that digested Is called the
digestion coefieient. -.rhis can be
determined by chemical ANALYSIS OF
Che ineoine food and the excreta and
making calculations therefrom in or.
der to find out the amount retained
in the animal body. 1t is a means OF
| arriving at the best methods OF feed
inn. It has been worked out for a
-. raaIr