AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IX NEW HAMPSHIRE 47 



manufacturers previous to the war. The mash fed in Pen VIII, referred to 

 as the soybean meal ration, contained soybean oil meal as the only protein 

 supplement. This mash contained no animal protein of any kind. The 

 mash fed in Pen IX was a commercially mixed laying mash. This mash 

 was mixed in conformity with the Government-Industry program for con- 

 servation of animal and marine proteins. According to this program, the 

 mash could contain not more than 2.25 pounds of animal protein per 100 

 pounds of mixed feed. On the basis of 20 per cent of total protein in the 

 mash, this would be equivalent to 11.25 per cent of the total protein in the 

 form of animal protein. 



\Miile results from the vegetable protein ration are somewhat below 

 those obtained from the meat scrap ration it is believed that most producers 

 would consider them satisfactory in view of limitations due to a war-time 

 economy. In addition, the results represent only one test. The relative 

 efficiency of the soybean meal ration was 92.5 per cent for egg production 

 and 104.1 per cent for feed consumption. By bringing together the feed 

 consumption and egg production figures, it required 5.69 pounds of feed 

 to produce a dozen eggs with the meat-scrap ration, and 6.40 pounds of 

 feed per dozen eggs with the soybean ration. On the basis of ^lay, 1944 

 feed prices and the cost of the rations used, the difference in feed consumed 

 per dozen eggs produced represents an increased feed cost of 1.81 cents per 

 dozen for the soybean meal ration. 



Mortality was low and comparable in all pens, the 5 per cent mortality 

 representing the loss of one bird from each group. All mortality was due 

 to the same cause, avian leucosis. Weight maintenance was satisfactory 

 and normal, and all groups reached a maximum weight during January. 



The hatchability studies show a considerable dift'erence in favor of 

 the meat-scrap ration. Both rations were calculated to the same nutritive 

 content for vitamins A, D. and riboflavin. It is possible that the meat 

 scrap used was considerably above the average in riboflavin content and 

 thus influenced the results. It is also possible that a choline deficiency may 

 have been present in the soybean meal ration since some evidence indicates 

 that all the choline in soybean oil meal is not available for use by chickens. 

 The relationship of choline to hatchability is unknown. 



The results from the commercially mixed ration were considerably 

 below the other two groups. Although this group was similarly nianaged, 

 several of the birds went out of production in January and production was 

 low during the latter part of January, February, and ]\Iarch. 



Tlie last annual report of the Department of Chemistry, co-operating, 

 described the arrangement of a feeding experiment in which vegetable pro- 

 teins were substituted for animal proteins in the feed of growing chicks. 

 The fecal samples collected have been analyzed and the data studied and 

 compared with that from earlier feeding trials. 



The different protein sources and the levels of protein fed in the ra- 

 tion in the last experiment are designated by groups as follows: 

 Group A - soybean oil meal, 15 per cent level of total protein 

 Group B - soybean oil meal, 19 per cent level of total protein 

 Group C - corn gluten meal, 15 per cent level of total protein 

 Group D - corn gluten meal, 19 per cent level of total protein 



The data show that there is relatively little difference in the percent- 

 age of uric acid nitrogen in the feces of the various groups. In addition, 



