50 EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 351 



age than Avere the chicks fed meat scrap or dried skim milk. Growth in- 

 creased as the protein content of the ration increased from 15 to 19 per 

 cent ahhough chicks receiving the lower protein rations were generally 

 most efficient in feed utilization during the growing period. 



During the past year studies have been made of the vegetable protein 

 concentrates soybean oil meal and corn gluten meal. Both supplements 

 were fed to chicks from day old to ten weeks of age at levels of 15 and 19 

 per cent of protein in the ration. At both levels, those fed soybean oil 

 meal were superior to those fed corn gluten meal. The growth dif- 

 ferences between the 15 and 19 per cent levels of protein feeding were 

 also significant for both protein concentrates, being in favor of the high- 

 er protein level. The growth obtained to 10 weeks of age with soybean 

 oil meal at levels of 15 and 19 per cent of protein in the ration was equal 

 to the growth obtained in the previously reported experiments with dried 

 skim milk at 15 and 19 per cent of protein feeding. When compared with 

 the earlier results obtained with fish meal, soybean oil meal feeding gave 

 a growth response only .16 pound less at the 15 per cent level and .36 

 pound less at the 19 per cent level of protein. 



The feed efficiency, as represented by the pounds of feed required to 

 produce one pound of gain, was of the same order for both levels of feed- 

 ing soybean oil meal The soybean rations were also more efficient than 

 the corn gluten rations. 



The mortality was low for all groups except for the lower level of 

 corn gluten meal. Cannibalism developed in this group at four weeks of 

 age and it w^as difficult to control it during the remainder of the 

 experiment. 



During the war emergency with the resulting scarcity of animal pro- 

 tein feeds, it appears that soybean oil meal can be used to replace part if 

 not all of the animal protein concentrates in rations for chicks to 10 weeks 

 of age. 



The feed efficiency, as represented by the pounds of feed required to 

 produce one pound of gain, was of the same order for both levels of feed- 

 ing soybean oil meal. The soybean rations were also more efficient than 

 the corn gluten rations. 



The mortality was low for all groups except for the lower level of 

 corn gluten meal. Cannibalism developed in this group at four weeks of 

 age and it was difficult to control it during the remainder of the experi- 

 ment. 



During the war emergency with the resulting scarcity of animal pro- 

 tein feeds, it appears that soybean oil meal can be used to replace part, if 

 not all, of the animal protein concentrates in rations for chicks to 10 weeks 

 of age. 



The department of Agricultural and Biological Chemistry, coopera- 

 ting, using birds from the above described groups, duplicated previously 

 reported feeding experiments in every detail, except that vegetable pro- 

 teins were substituted for animal proteins in the ration: i. e., corn gluten 

 meal and soybean oil meal fed at the 15 per cent and 19 per cent levels, 

 respectively. Daily records of feed and water consumption, feces elimina- 

 tion and gains in weight Mere kept during the six-day control feeding 

 periods. At the end of the feeding periods the birds were killed, the pH 



