ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 7 l .>7 



with chickens and ducklings to Ettudy the comparative value of a number of concen- 

 trated feeds for supplying protein and mineral matter, constituents which the 

 ordinary ratioD does qoI Bupply in sufficient quantity al times. 



In the tesl with ducklings 3 lots containing 30 birds each at the beginning were 

 fed during the period of most rapid growth rations in which 60 per cent or more of 

 the protein was derived from by-products of animal origin. Except for a small 

 amount of blood meal included in the grain mixture fed each lot the nitrogenous 



feeds were for lot 1, animal meal and meat meal; for lot 2, bl I meal and bone meal; 



and for lot .'!, milk all mm in i a by-product from milk sugar factories and bone meal. 

 Tin- average gain in weight per fowl for the 9 weeks of the tost was 82.2 oz. on animal 

 meal and meat meal, <>7.7 oz. on blood meal am! bone meal, s i oz. on milk albumin 

 and bone meal, the cost of ;l pound of gain in tin- :; cases being 4.8, 5.7, and <;. I cts. 



In the tost with chickens, which was made with I lots containing from 13 to 50 

 chicks 2 weeks old at the beginning of the trial, 2 of the lots wore fed rations in 

 which most <»f the protein was derived from highly nitrogenous animal by-products, 

 namely, animal meal and milk albumin. I >f the remaining 2 lots one received added 

 protein in the form of gluten meal and the other gluten meal with a little hone meal. 

 Asa basal ration all lots were ii-(\ cracked corn, wheat, green alfalfa, and a -rain 

 mixture. In the 8 weeks of the test the average gains per bird were li'.'.t oz. on 

 animal meal, 11.5 oz. on milk albumin, 4.6 oz. on gluten meal, and 9 oz. on gluten 

 meal and bone meal, the cost of a pound of gain ranging from 6.4 cts. on the last 

 mentioned ration to 14. »> cts. on gluten meal. 



The author's conclusions were in effect as follows: Of three highly nitrogenous 

 rations fed to ducklings, the one containing dried blood and bone meal was associ- 

 ated with much Blower growth than the one containing animal meal and that con- 

 taining milk albumin and hone meal, though the same amount of food under each 

 ration gave equal increase in weight. The superiority of the two rations mentioned 

 Beemed dne chiefly to their greater palatability. 



Of four rations carrying much concentrated food the one containing a large pro- 

 portion of gluten meals proved inferior, when \n\ to young chicks, to that having 

 bone meal in addition to gluten meal, and much inferior to others in which most of 

 the gluten meal was replaced by animal meal or by milk albumin. Qnpalatability 

 seemed largely responsible for the inferiority of the two rations. The ration giving 

 the poorest results was also deficient in mineral matter. 



The rations containing milk albumin were more palatable and Beemed more health- 

 ful than the others, but owing to the higher price of this food it was not profitably 

 used in the desired quantity. The rations containing animal meal were more profit- 

 ably fed. 



The results and ohservations in general, like those from other trials, show a greater 

 disadvantage in the free use of foods of uncertain palatability and healthfulness dur- 

 ing earlier stages of growth than at any other time. The composition of the feeding 



stuffs used is reported. 



Feeding- cotton-seed meal to chickens {Bel. Poultry Jour., 12 [1905), No. 8, 

 p. 836). — Cotton-seed meal if fed to poultry should, it is said, he fed separately. A 

 ration of equal parts by weight of corn meal and wheat bran, with sufficient low- 

 grade flour and middlings to roll into a ball and at the same time not he sticky, can 

 be used with the cotton-seed meal, the latter constituting about 10 per cent of the 

 whole mash. 



Growth of chickens and cost of rearing, E. Brown {.lour. Bd. Agr. [London], 

 12(190:>). Nd. 5, />/>. 257-272; reprinted by Univ. Col. Reading, Agr. Dept., 1905, pp. 

 16). — To secure data regarding the growth of chickens and the cost of rearing, a test 

 was made with White Wyandottes, Paverolles, Buff Orpingtons, and crossbreds. 



The different lots each contained 29 or 30 hirds and all received uniform treatment. 

 When 13 weeks old the average weight of the chickens ranged from 1 lb. 14 oz. each 



