96 Report of the Department of Animal Husbandry of the 



for Lot B 10.1 cents. During the next five weeks the cost was 

 3.7 cents for Lot A and 5.3 cents for Lot B. For the whole time 

 up to ten weeks of age the food cost per pound gain was 3.4 cents 

 for Lot A and 5.9 cents for Lot B. After Lot B was finally 

 changed to the animal food ration the food cost per pound gain 

 for the five weeks was 5.6 cents. The food cost per pound gain 

 in weight made at this time by Lot A for three weeks after they 

 had reached the average weight of five pounds was 7.6 cents. 



At ten weeks of age the ducklings in Lot A averaged 4.9 

 pounds in weight and those in Lot B 2 pounds. At seven weeks 

 of age those in Lot A averaged 3 pounds in weight and those in 

 Lot B 1.1 pounds. The ducklings in Lot B at five weeks of age, 

 up to which time they had been restricted to the unmodified veg- 

 etable food ration averaged but 0.4 pound in weight while those 

 in Lot A averaged four times as heavy. Even with the addition 

 of other food to the vegetable food ration, followed later by a 

 total change, the ducklings in Lot A reached the average weight 

 of one pound three weeks sooner than those in Lot B. The av- 

 erage weight of 2 pounds was reached more than three weeks 

 sooner, the average weight of 3 pounds four and one-half weeks 

 sooner, the average weight of 4 pounds and the average weight 

 of 5 pounds each a month sooner. The average weight of 5 

 pounds was attained by Lot A when Lot B averaged but little 

 over 2 pounds in weight. 



Besides avoiding the serious loss that occurred under the ra- 

 tion entirely of vegetable food, the chief advantage of the animal 

 food ration was in the much more rapid growth and earlier ma- 

 turity and not so much in the ultimate attainment of greater 

 size. 



FEEDING EXPERIMENT WITH HENS. 



Of the four lots of laying hens used in this series of experi- 

 ments, Lots XYII and XVIII were fed the contrasted rations 

 for about seven and one-half montbi^ and Lots XIX and XX for 

 about six and one-half months. This included the principal 



