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Vol. XVI Washington, D. C, March 24, 1919 No. 12 



EFFECT OF CERTAIN GRAIN RATIONS ON THE GROWTH 



OF THE WHITE LEGHORN CHICK f^t^'^'^'^f 



By G. Davis BucknER, E- H. Nollau, R. H. Wilkins, and Joseph H. KastlE ■^^'f]£ 



Department of Chemistry, Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station ^^ 



In a former paper ^ from this laboratory evidence was presented to ' 

 show that the lysin content of the proteins of certain grain mixtures 

 fed to White Leghorn chicks was the limiting factor in their growth. 

 The results of those experiments showed that on a ration consisting of 

 wheat, wheat bran, sunflower seed, hempseed, cracked com, skim milk, 

 cabbage, and sprouted oats, normal growth was obtained, while on a 

 ration consisting of barley, rice, hominy, oats, gluten flour, butter fat, 

 cabbage, and sprouted oats a condition of arrested growth resulted. 

 The first-mentioned ration was supposed to contain a high percentage of 

 the amino acid, lysin, as compared with the second ration, which was 

 supposed to be low in lysin. These experiments were open to criticism 

 because of the small number of chicks under consideration, the labora- 

 tory conditions governing them and the possible inaccuracy in the 

 numbers given for the amino-acid distribution of the grain mixtures 

 fed. In view of this, an experiment was plaimed which would, as far 

 as possible, eliminate these points of objection. 



In 1 91 5 an experiment was conducted by Buckner, Nollau, and Kastle, 

 in which 14 one-day-old White Leghorn chicks were fed a ration consist- 

 ing of 33 parts of ground soybeans and 67 parts of ground oats, supple- 

 mented by 20 per cent of protein-free milk, sprouted oats, shredded 

 cabbage leaves, grit, oyster shell, and a small quantity of sour skim milk. 

 On this ration the chicks failed to thrive and grow and would eventually 

 have died had not the grain ration been changed. It was changed to 

 equal parts of wheat bran, sunflower seed, hempseed, barley, oats, and 

 rice. On this diet a partial recovery was effected, yet the vigor and 

 development of the normal White Leghorn chick of a similar age was 

 not attained. One of us (Kastle) contended that this failure to grow 



1 Buckner, G. D., Nollau, E. H., and Kastle. J. H. the feeding of young chicks on grain 

 MIXTURES OF HIGH AND LOW LYSIN CONKNT. /n Amer. Jour. Physiol., V. 39, no. 2, p.162-171, i pi. 1915. 



Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. XVI, No. la 



Washington, D. C. Mar. 34, 1919 



rp Key No. Ky.-8 



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