904 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Two lot.s of cliickeiis were fed whole ami ground grains^, green alfalfa, glnten meal, 

 and blood meal. In addition 1 lot was fed 2 oz. of Florida rock phoHiiliate and 1 (jz. 

 of line white glass san<l per L'4 oz. of dry feed, the mineral substances being well 

 mixed with the ground grain, i^ot 2 wa.s fed the same mineral matter except for the 

 first 2 weeks of the test the uniount of sand was doubled. About 80 per cent of the 

 protein in the ration was supplied l)y animal food. In 10 weeks chicks in lot 1 

 gaint'd a pound in weight for every 2.7 lbs. of dry matter in the food, excluvsive of 

 the Florida rock. The chicks in lot 2 recpiired 8 lbs. of dry matter i)er j)Ound of gain, 

 the total cost of food per jjound of gain in the two cases being 3.7 cts. and 4.1 cts. 



Of the 2 lots included in the second group one was fed the same grain ration and 

 mineral matter as mentioned al)ove, while the other lot was fed the same grain, etc., 

 the mineral portion of the ration consisting of 0.5 oz. of ground oyster shells per 24 

 oz. of food. Exclusive of added uiineral matter a pound of gain in the 2 lots required 

 respectively 8.(> lbs. and ."i.S lbs. of feed, the c,o.st, including rock and shell, being 

 respectively 5.2 cts. and 5.1 cts. It was note<l that the lot fed oyster shells ate more 

 feed ami made greater and more rapid gains than the lot fed the ground Fhjrida 

 rock. 



Two l(jts were f*'il a ration made u}) of grains, milling products, linseed meal, 

 gluten meal, and gi-een alfalfa. One of the lots was given an ounce of sand }»er 

 15 oz. of food and the other an ounce of ground Florida rock. The 2 lots required 

 respectively 4.7 lbs. and 5.5 lbs. total dry matter per pound of gain, the cost of a 

 pound of gain being 5.8 cts. and 7.1 cts. The lot fed the ground Florida rock con- 

 sumed somewhat less food and made the larger growth. 



In the fourth test 4 lots were fed a ration of grains, milling products, etc., sinular 

 to that just mentioned, the ash constituents of this basal ration constituting from 3.1 

 to 3.3 i)er cent of the total dry matter. One of the lots was fed sand; another 

 ground Florida rock; and a third bone ash and oyster shells 2 : 1 in the proportion of 

 1 oz. to 10 oz. of grain in every case. The fourth lot received no extra mineral 

 matter. The chicks in this lot required 5 lbs. of dry matter per pound of gain; 

 those in the lot fed sand, 4.5 lbs.; the lot fed F'lorida rock phosphate, 4 ll)s. ; and 

 the lot fed bone ash and oyster shells, 4.6 lbs. exclusive of added mineral matter in 

 each case. Tlie cost of a pound of gain ranged from 4.9 cts. with the lot fed the 

 Florida rock to 7.4 cts. with the lot fed bone ash and shell. 



The fifth trial was made with 3 lots fed a basal ration of grain and animal meal 

 carrying a large proportion of ground bone. The ration was high in mineral matter, 

 about 85 per cent of which was snpi)lied from the animal meal and bone. The 

 animal food also supplied about 44 per cent of the jirotein in the ration. One of the 

 lots was fed 3 oz. of ground oyster shell and the second 3 oz. of sand ])er 28 oz. of dry 

 feed, while the third received no additional mineral matter. With ground oyster 

 shells 3.8 lbs. of food and with sand 3.4 lbs. of food were required per pound of gain, 

 the cost in each case l)eing 5.7 ('ts. and 4.1 cts. per pound. Similar values for the 

 lot receiving no additional mineral matter were 3.7 lbs. and 4.9 cts. 



The sixth test was made with 2 lots and the seventh with 4 lots. The basal 

 ration contained no animal food but was made up of grain, green alfalfa, etc. Two 

 lots were fed ground oyster shells, 2 lots Florida rock, one sand and one bone ash 

 and ground oyster shell 1:1, .the proportion of added mineral matterineachca.se 

 being 1 oz. per 11 oz. grain feed. In the majority of cases the mineral matter con- 

 stituted about 12 per cent of the total ration. Considering the 2 tests as a whole, the 

 feeil required }>er pound of gain ranged from 3.9 lbs. with one of the lots fed ground 

 oyster shells and one fed Florida rock to 5.3 lbs. with one of the lots fed ground 

 oyster shells. The cost of a pound of gain ranged from 4.8 cts.. with one of the lots 

 fed Florida rock to 6.8 cts. with one of the lots fed oyster shells. 



The author's conclusions follow: 



