March, 1933] Agric. Research in New Hampshire 21 



This is the indication of the research on Vitamin A requirements of 

 developing chicks up to 16 weeks of age, by A. E. Tepper, T. B. 

 Charles and F. D. Reed. 



Several groups of chicks were used in the work in 1932, one getting 

 the New England college-conference ration only, five others the basal 

 ration plus from one to five per cent of cod-liver oil in addition to 

 daily exposure to ultra-violet light to insure plenty of Vitamin D, and 

 three control pens receiving the light treatment plus a basal ration 

 entirely lacking in Vitamin A. 



The conference ration led all others in i)utting weight on the birds, 

 tiirning them out at 16 weeks averaging 4.211 pounds apiece as com- 

 pared with 4.031 pounds for the three-per-cent oil ration, which ranked 

 second. Birds on this standard ration never showed evidence of lack 

 of Vitamin A; all other chickens did. No other ration made a better 

 record for livability. Mortality on this ration and on the one-per- 

 cent cod-liver oil was only three per cent; on a ration entirely lack- 

 ing in Vitamin A, the mortality was 63 per cent the first 12 weeks. 



The conference ration produced one pound of gain for every 5.32 

 pounds of feed, while the basal ration plus three-per-cent cod-liver 

 oil gave a pound of gain on 4.48 pounds of feed. 



Another fact developed in the experiment is that the larger the 

 amount of oil fed, the greater the mortality. 



Brooding Temperatures Show Variation 



High battery brooding temperatures again produced greater growth 

 and resulted in smaller loss of chicks in trials during the year with S. C. 

 \\\ Leghorns; but with New Hampshire Reds the results showed a tend- 

 ency to reverse in fa^'or of lower temperatures. In the group of Reds 

 under high temperatures it took 2.95 pounds of feed in six weeks' trials to 

 produce a pound of weight, and in the group under low temperatures 

 it took 2.89 pounds of feed. The mortality, however, was not sig- 

 nificantly different; and the project will be given further study. A. 

 E. Tepper, T. B. Chartes and F. D. Reed. {Purnell Fund) 



Conclusions from Paralysis Studies 



Following several years of study of paralysis of poultry by the Ex- 

 periment Station, C. L. Martin conclucles that as far as the disease is 

 concerned in New Hampshire coccidia, worms and rough objects such 

 as sand will cause sufficient physiological changes in the intestine to 

 produce the condition. Previously it was concluded that careful san- 

 itation will help to control the trouble, although not eliminate it. 

 Microscopic studies of the intestines, pancreas and liver of normal and 

 paralytic birds are now underway in further search for information. 

 Blood-analysis work was done during the past year. {Purnell Fund) 



Coccidiosis Treatments Named 



Definite recommendations on flushing agents for chicks infected with 

 coccidiosis are the initial offering of studies on control of this poultry 

 disease, conducted by C. L. Martin, C. A. Bottorff, and T. B. Charles. 

 Two other phases of the investigation are to detennine if immunity 



