48 



the animal meal was excellent in all the experiments, but in the 

 pens of fowls receiving cut fresh bone, there were numerous cases 

 of diarrhea and bowel trouble, eight deaths in all occurring during the 

 course of the experiments. Five of these were undoubtedly due to 

 the feed. But one death occurred in the pens where animal meal was 

 used and it was not believed that this was due to the feed. The 

 disturbances of digestion among the fowls receiving the cut fresh 

 bone were apparently due to the fact that in spite of precautions to 

 secure an even distribution of this highly relished article of food, 

 some fowls occasionally secured much more than their proper share. 

 The cut bone was in some experiments fed by itself: in others it 

 was mixed with the mash and it appeared to be a safer feed when 

 given in that way than when fed by itself. The weights of the fowls 

 were taken at intervals during the course of the last two experiments 

 and it was found that the hens fed the green cut bone averaged about 

 half a pound heavier than the others. 



Eggs were produced at the following rates per hundred fowls daily 

 in the different experiments : 



Animal Meal 



The summer experiment was number two. The egg product in all 

 these experiments is relatively low. In three of the five experiments, 

 the fowls receiving animal meal laid the greater number of eggs. 

 Should allowance be made for the cost of labor in cutting the bone, 

 the food cost of the eggs produced where this feed is used was con- 

 siderably greater than where animal meal was used in all our 

 experiments. 



The West Virginia Experiment Station has carried out similar 

 experiments. Messrs. Stewart and Atwood* report in substance as 

 follows. 



In the earlier of these two bulletins reporting on meat meal com- 

 pared with ground fresh meat and bone, they say : " The fowls fed 

 ground fresh meat and bone laid more and larger eggs, increased more 

 in weight and were healthier during the experiment than the fowls 

 receiving meat meal." 



* West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletins 71 and S2. 



