INCREASE OF FLESH ON YOUNG CHICKENS. 



The total initial weight of all the birds when feeding began is 

 comparable with the " initial live weight" of the commercial feeder, 

 and the total live weight of all the birds when ready for slaughter is 

 comparable with the "final live weight" of the commercial feeder. 

 The difference, in pounds, between the "in" and "out" weights is 

 given in Table 3. For example, the "in" weight of 100 birds on 

 Ration C was 171 pounds and the "out" weight 231 pounds, or a 

 gain of 60 pounds to the 100 head. For broader usefulness the 

 results have been expressed also as percentage of gain, taking the 

 initial live weight as the basis of comparison. Ration A, corn meal 

 and water, gave a total gain of only 5 per cent; Ration B, corn meal 

 and buttermilk, gave a gain of approximately 30 per cent; while 

 Ration C, corn meal, distillers' grains, and buttermilk, gave a gain of 

 about 35 per cent. 



QUANTITY OF FEED REQUIRED. 



It is essential that the ration used for fleshing chickens be palatable 

 to them. Birds will starve rather than eat a distasteful feed. The 

 experiments have shown that Ration C is eaten eagerly and the 

 birds do not tire of it. The appetite at the end of the experiment 

 was even better than at the beginning, quite the reverse of the 

 usual condition. The birds ate more, by weight, of Ration C than 

 of either Ration A or B, as is seen in Table 4. At the end of 14 days 

 378 pounds of Ration A, 458 of Ration B, and 474 of Ration C had 

 been consumed. 



Table 4. — Feed consumed by 100 head of young chickens. 



Feeding 

 period. 



Feed. 



Ration 

 A. 



Ration 

 B. 



Ration 



c. 



Days. 



(Grain 



Pounds. 

 47.8 



Pounds. 

 48.8 

 73.2 



Pounds. 

 49.1 





Buttermilk (10 per cent solids) 



73.6 



4 





59.7 







Total feed 









107.5 



122.0 



122.7 











97.7 



102.1 

 153.2 



103.4 





Buttermilk (10 percent solids) 



155.2 



8 





121.8 







Total feed 









219.5 



255.3 



258.6 





(Grain 







133.9 



143. 3 

 214.9 



146.9 







220.3 



11 



nVater 



167. i 







Total feed 









301.0 



358.2 



367.2 











168.1 



1&3.2 

 274.7 



1S9.4 







2S4.2 



14 





209.6 







Total feed 









377.7 



457.9 



473.6 









Under any circumstances the amount of feed eaten is very much 

 greater than the amount of flesh produced, because a large part of 

 the food of an animal must be used to keep it warm and maintain 

 the body functions. The excess eaten may or may not be deposited 



