314 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 181. 



Summary of Coefficients showing Effect of High-grade Wheat Gluten Flour 

 upon Digestibility of Hay. 



The object of this trial was to observe the effect of a high-grade wheat 

 gluten flour, composed largely of protein, upon the digestibility of the 

 hay. In the hay experiment 600 grams were fed to each of two sheep, 

 and in the experiment immediately following 40 grams of the gluten were 

 added to the hay. 



The hay contained in dry matter 6.66 per cent, ash, 8.36 protein, 

 32.08 fiber, 50.40 extract matter and 2.50 fat, and had a nutritive ratio 

 of 1:12. The wheat gluten contained in dry matter .86 per cent, ash, 

 92.41 protein, .11 fiber, 6.23 extract matter and .39 fat, being nearly pure 

 gluten meal, with traces of ash, fiber and fat, and a small amount of ex- 

 tract matter. The nutritive ratio of the hay-gluten mixture was 1:6. 

 A study of the comparative coefficients of the hay when fed with and with- 

 out the gluten — assuming the gluten to have been entirely digested — • 

 indicates that the latter improved the digestibility of the hay slightly, 

 particularly the fiber, extract matter and fat. The protein, on the other 

 hand, showed an apparent lessened digestibility, due perhaps to the fact 

 that the protein of the gluten was not completely assimilated. 



Applying the coefficients secured for the hay when fed by itself to the 

 same hay fed in combination with wheat gluten, and subtracting the result 

 from the total amount of hay plus gluten digested, we find that in case 

 of one sheep 47.48 grams, and in case of the other, 33.95 grams, were 

 digested against 36.36 grams fed. This indicates that in one case at 

 least the gluten was not only fully digested but improved somewhat the 

 digestibility of the hay. 



