go TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY REPORT. 
four lots of chicks, two lots of pullets, two lots of cockerels and 
two lots of ducklings were fed on contrasted rations in one of 
which all of the protein, except a small proportion derived from 
skim milk or skim milk curd, was supplied by vegetable food, 
mostly grain, and in the other much of the protein came from ani- 
mal products, principally animal meal, with a little fresh bone, 
skim milk and blood meal. 
Feeding was begun with two lots of chicks when four days old 
and with two other lots when three weeks old. After the cockerels 
were separated, in one case at twelve weeks and in the other at 
twenty weeks of age, the pullets were continued on the contrasted 
rations, and two lots of cockerels were fed for twelve weeks. The 
nutritive ratio of the ration containing animal food was on the 
average somewhat the wider, but the total amount of protein 
supplied per fowl was about the same under both rations. 
For the whole period in each case, and especially during the 
earlier stages of growth, more food was eaten under the ration in 
which about two-fifths of the protein was supplied by animal food, 
and growth was much faster. As the birds approached maturity 
the difference in rate of growth became less or for a time was 
reversed, but never enough to permit the birds under the vegetable 
food ration to overcome the advantage that had so long been with 
the contrasted lot. The most noticeable result was the much more 
rapid and more profitable rate of growth under the animal food 
ration. Several pullets in the lot fed animal food commenced to 
lay nearly a month before any in the contrasted lot. 
The contrasted feeding with the ducklings was begun so soon as 
they had learned to eat and was continued by weekly periods for 
ten weeks, and after modification of the ration, for five weeks 
longer ; one lot being also fed another month on a reversed ration. 
The grain mixtures used in the “ vegetable food” ration being less 
palatable to the ducklings than to chicks, it was modified by addi- 
tion of corn meal, etc. The ration in which about one-half the 
protein was derived from animal food had, on the average a some- — 
what wider nutritive ratio, but owing to greater consumption sup- 
plied more protein per fowl. Except at the start, however, more 
protein per pound live weight was supplied by the ration containing, 
aside from the skim milk, only vegetable food. 
With the ducklings the ration containing the large proportion of 
animal food gave much better results from the start, permitting 
rapid growth with vigorous health, while under the contrasted ration 
growth was slow and uneven and a lack of vigor apparent. 
