FATTENING STOCK.

Matamata Record, Volume XIV, Issue 1193, 5 February 1931, Page 6

FATTENING STOCK.

When animals are young and still growing rapidly, practically all the food they can eat is required for maintenance and growth, and the surplus available for fat formation is relatively small; the gain in weight therefore consists mainly of non-fatty matter. But as the rate of growth diminishes the surplus available for fat format .1 increases, and the condition of the animals improves accordingly. The stor-ed-up energy of fat is, however, about eight times that of the non-fatty tissue, and the amount of food required to produce each successive pound of gain therefore increases, as shown in the table.

With a liberal allowance of food the rate of growth continues almost uniform up to a certain stage; it then diminish. •; rather suddenly, and the rate of fattening is correspondingly accelerated. This critical stage appears to be reached at from 440 days to 660 days in cattle.