16 



to keep pace with the increased demand. All of these factors have accelerated 

 the search for other sources of marine, high-protein meals for use in feeds. 



There have been 6 papers published since 1944 by different groups of in- 

 vestigators dealing with the use of starfish meal as a protein supplement for the 

 feeding of newly-hatched chicks. All but one of these reports presented results 

 of work instigated by a group at the Bingham Oceanographic Laboratory which has 

 been interested in the development of unutilized marine resources of southern 

 New England. These reports will be briefly summarized. Bird (1944) fed poultry 

 3 and 6 percent starfish meal in a basal mash adjusted to maintain so far as possible 

 the calcium: phosphorus ratio and protein content at the same levels as the control 

 diet which contained 4 percent of fish meal. Growth was substantially equal with 

 all three diets. The differences of 3 and 4 percent, respectively, lower mean 

 gain in liveweight of the groups fed 3 and 6 percent starfish meal were not sig- 

 nificant. Shank color was not bleached when the starfish meal was fed. 



Heuser and McGinnis (1946) also fed to chicKs diets containing 3, 6, and 12 

 percent starfish meal. Growth with the former diet was equal to that of the con- 

 trol group fed a diet containing 3 percent fish meal- There was about a 7 percent 

 decrease in the mean gains of liveweight of the group fed the 6 percent level as 

 compared with the control group. Chicks receiving a 12 percent level of starfish 

 meal showed 16 percent mortality and significantly poorer growth. The gain in 

 liveweight was only 61 percent of that of the control group. The diets contained 

 equal quantities of protein so it was concluded that the excess calcium was re- 

 sponsible for the poor results obtained at the 12 percent level of starfish meal 

 in the diet. It was concluded that the 6 percent level was the largest amount 

 that could be fed with reasonable success. 



Ringrose (1946) compared diets containing 13 and 18.5 percent levels of crude 

 protein when fed to chicks . Mashes with the 13 percent protein content contained 

 either 9 percent starfish meal, 4 percent rosefish meal, or 5 percent meat scrap, 

 respectively, while those with 18.5 percent protein contained double these quan- 

 tities and each diet also included 10 percent soybean oilmeal. 



Growth was poor with all diets at the 13 percent level of crude protein. The 

 diets containing starfish produced 83 percent of the gain in liveweight of that 

 produced by the diet containing rosefish meal. With the high-protein diets, the 

 chicks fed the 18 percent level of starfish meal averaged only one-third the gain 

 in liveweight of the control group, and also showed a 50 percent mortality. Again 

 the poor results are attributed by the author to the large calcium: phosphorus 

 ratio, the high calcium content, or both. 



Stuart and Hart (1946) fed chicks a diet containing starfish meal at a level 

 of 4 percent supplemented with 4 percent meat scrap and 4.5 percent fish meal. 

 The control group received a diet containing 7 percent fish meal and 4 percent 

 meat scrap. Over a 12-week test period, rates of growth with the two mashes were 

 approximately equal. Analyses of the tibia showed a higher calcium and ash con- 

 tent in the bones of the group which had received starfish meal than in those of 

 the control group. 



Whitson and Titus (1946) fed 3 series of chicks to make a more critical study 

 of the quality of the protein of starfish meal. In the first series, 4 and 8 per- 

 cent; in the second series, 4, 8, and 12 percent; and in the third series, 2.5 

 and 7.5 percent of starfish meal were included in the diets. In every case, star- 

 fish meal was the sole source of animal protein. Sardine meal was used similarly 



