THE FUNCTIONS OF FEEDS

The feed consumed by animals is used for a number

of different purposes, the exact usage varying somewhat
with the class, age, and productivity of the animal.
With all animals, a certain part of the feed is used
for he maintenance of bodily functions aside from any
useful production. This is known as the maintenance
requirement. In addition, the various classes of
animals use feed to take care of the functions for
which they are kept. Thus, young, growing animals need
nutrient suitable for building muscle tissue and bone;
finishing animals need a surplus of energy feeds for
the formation of fat; breeding females require feed for
the development of their fetuses, and, following
parturition, for the production of milk; whereas work
or running! animals use feed to supply energy for
productive work. "till other classes of animals require
feed for the production of eggs and wool. #ach of these
needs will be discussed separately.
Maintenance
$n animal differs from an engine in that the
latter has no fuel requirement when idle; whereas an
animal requires fuel every second of the day, whether
it is idle or not.
The maintenance requirement may be defined as a
ration which is adequate to prevent any loss or gain
of tissue in the body when there is no production.
$lthough these requirements are relatively simple, they
are essential for life itself. $ mature animal must
have heat to maintain body temperature, sufficient
energy to cover the internal work of the body and the
minimum movement of the animal, and a small amount of
proteins, vitamins, and minerals for he repair of body
tissues.
%o matter how quietly an animal may be lying in
the stall, it still requires a certain amount of fuel,
and the least amount on which it can exist is called
its basal maintenance requirement. The animal man,
cattle, and sheep, but not horses! requires about nine
percent more fuel when standing than when lying and
still more for any movement it may make. This explains
why it is desirable for economic reasons that finishing
animals should eat and then lie down as much as
possible. #ven under the best of conditions, about one&
half of all the feed consumed by animals is used in
meeting the maintenance requirements.
Growth
Growth may be defined as the increase in size of
the muscles, bones, internal organs, and other parts
of the body. %aturally, the growth requirements become
increasingly acute when animals are forced for early
usage, such as the training and racing of a two& or
three&year&old horse.
'rowth has been referred to as the foundation of
animal production. (oung cattle, sheep, and swine will
not make the most economical finishing gains unless
they have been raised to be thrifty and vigorous.
)ikewise, breeding females may have their production
ability seriously impaired if they have been raised
improperly. %or can one expect the most satisfactory
yields of milk from dairy cows or eggs from layers,
unless they were well developed when young. Workhorses
and mules cannot perform the maximum amount of work,
and running horses do not possess the desired speed and
endurance, if their growth has been stunted or if their
skeletons have been in*ured by inadequate rations
during the growth period.
Finishing (or Show-ring Fitting)
This is the laying on of fat, especially in the
tissues of the abdominal cavity and in the connective
tissues *ust under the skin and between the muscles.
The composition of a ration for fitting may be the
same as for maintenance, but it must be supplied in
larger quantities.
In practical fitting rations, higher condition in
mature animals is usually obtained through increasing
the allowance of feeds high in carbohydrates and fats
a more liberal allowance of grains. $ny surplus of
protein may also serve for the production of fat, but
usually such feeds are more expensive and are not used
for economy reasons. In fitting mature animals, very
little more proteins, minerals, and vitamins are
required than for maintenance. In fitting young,
growing animals, however, it is essential thatin
addition to supplying more carbohydrates and fats
ample proteins, minerals, and vitamins be provided.
In general, the more feed a growing or finishing
animal consumes, the more economical will be its gains.
+or example, it may be assumed that a calf requires ,
lb of feed daily to maintain itself, when making no
gain. With an additional - lb of feed, or a daily
ration of . lb, it gains / lb daily in weight. If the
ration is increased by another - lb, bringing the daily
allowance to /0 lb, it gains 0 lb daily in weight.
Thus, each - lb of feed over and above the maintenance
requirement , lb per day for maintenance! produces a
gain of / lb in liveweight. 1n the basis of total feed
consumed, however, the first pound of gain requires a
total of . lb of feed the first , lb for maintenance
and an additional - lb for gain!, whereas the next
pound of gain only requires an additional - lb of feed.
These facts, as illustrated in this oversimplified way,
are the basis for the statement that for economical
finishing the feeder should get every possible ounce of
feed 2under their hides.3 The chief difference between
good and poor feeders is in the amount of feed above
the maintenance requirement that they are able to
consume. This also shows why it is necessary to have
animals with ample feed capacity.
Repro!ction (Eggs) an "actation
4egular and normal reproduction is the basis for
profit on any farm or ranch. 5espite this undeniable
fact, it has been estimated that from 06 to 768 of all
matings are infertile, that 078 of all cows culled from
dairy herds are removed because of reproductive
inefficiency, that the overall average 9." calf crop of
all cattle beef and dairy combined! is only ::8, that
78 of all ewes are sterile, that only 768 of all mares
bred actually produce foals, and that /78 of all sows
bred fail to produce litters. With birds, the
development of the egg is the chief part of
reproduction. ;ertainly, there are many causes of
reproductive failure, but most scientists are agreed
that inadequate nutrition is a ma*or one.
With all species, most of the growth of the fetus
occurs during the last third of pregnancy, thus making
the reproductive requirements most critical during this
period. The ration of the pregnant female should supply
sufficient amounts of protein, minerals, and vitamins.
With females of all species, the nutritive
requirements for moderate to heavy milk production are
much more rigorous than the pregnancy requirements.
There is special need for a rather liberal protein,
mineral, and vitamin allowance.
In case of young, growing, pregnant females,
additional protein, minerals, and vitamins, above the
ordinary requirements, must be provided; otherwise, the
fetus will not develop properly or milk will be
produced at the expense of the tissues of the dam.
It is also known that the ration exerts a powerful
effect on sperm production and semen quality. Too fat a
condition can even lead to temporary or permanent
sterility. <oreover, there is abundant evidence that
greater fertility of herd sires exists under conditions
where a well&balanced ration and plenty of exercise are
provided.
#or$ (R!nning)
In many respects, work requirements are similar to
the needs for finishing, both functions requiring high&
energy feeds. The function of work or running! is, for
the most part, limited to horses, though in certain
parts of the world oxen furnish the chief source of
power.
+or mature workhorses, not in reproduction, work
is performed primarily at the expense of the
carbohydrates and fats of the rationenergy that can
be supplied in the form of additional grain.
Theoretically, the protein is not drawn upon so long as
the other nutrients are present in adequate amounts.
+rom a practical standpoint, however, it is usually
desirable to feed more proteins than the maintenance
requirement, merely to ensure that the animal can make
efficient use of the remainder of the nutrients on the
ration. When a ration too low in protein is fed, more
feed is required because the animal is unable to
utili=e the ration efficiently. +or work animals, the
mineral and vitamin requirements are practically the
same as for comparable idle animalsexcept for the
greater need for salt because of increased
perspiration.
#oo%
Wool is a high&protein product. Thus, a shortage
of protein in the ration will lessen wool production,
even though the total amount of the ration is adequate.
It is also known that both the quality and quantity of
fiber may be materially lowered if the animals are
sub*ected to unfavorable thrift or health. If such
periods are of relatively short duration, tender spots
weak spots! appear in the growth of the fiber.