THE NUTRIENTS AND NUTHITION oOl 



Water. — AVater plays a highly important part in the pro- 

 cesses which collectively result in production. (1) It .serves 

 to soften the feed in the crop, preparing it for maceration 

 in the gizzard. (2) It is a constituent part of the body of the 

 fowl and of the contents of the egg, comprising over 55 per 

 cent of the former and more than Ci.") ])cr cent of the latter. 

 A dozen eggs of good size contain a ])int of water, (o) It 

 serves as a carrier, transporting the end products of digestion 

 from the digestive tract to all parts of the body and carrying 

 the waste products from all parts of the body to the points 

 of elimination. (4) It serves to cool the body by evapora- 

 tion through the air sacs and lungs and keep its various parts 

 at the same temperature. (5) It aids in the process of diges- 

 tion and absorption, by dissolving the end products of diges- 

 tion that are too concentrated to ])enetrate the \\alls of 

 the intestine. (6) It acts as a lubricant for the joints and 

 muscles. 



Water usually forms from 8 to 12 per cent of the air-dry 

 weight of the common grains which generally make up tin- 

 bulk of the poultry ration. This fact points to the necessity 

 of a liberal supply beyond that furnislied in the food. 



The lack of water retards most of the processes of the body. 

 It hinders digestion and limits excretion. A continued lack 

 of water thickens the blood and raises the body temperature, 

 ('■rowing chicks are easily stunted in their development by 

 a lack or an irregular supply of water. Starving is better 

 withstood by fowls than a complete absence of water in 

 warm weather. 



Ash. — Ash is a term used to designate collectively the 

 mineral compounds found in feedstuft's, the fowl's body, and 

 the egg. It varies from 1.1 per cent (gluten feed) to 17.6 

 per cent (meat scraps) of the weight of the common poultry 

 feeds, averaging 4. GO per cent. It forms 3.4 per cent of the 

 li\'e weight of a la,ying hen and 12.2 j)er cent of the weight 

 of whole raw egg. While the common feeds would usually 

 supply suflficient ash to meet the necessities of the hen's 

 body, they fall very short of supplying the needs of the 

 laying hen or growing chick. 



As far back as 1S44, von Bibra, as reported by Emmerich 



