330 POULTRY PRODUCTION 



Barley. — This grain contains less fat, fiber, and ash than 

 oats, hut more protein and carbohydrates. It does not rank 

 as high as wheat in digestible protein and contains more 

 fiber. It is not as palatal)le a feed as corn, wheat, or oats, 

 but is a good one to arid to a ration by way of variety. 



Tlie amounts of digestible nutrients found in 100 pounds 

 of whole barley as determined by digestion experiments 

 with chickens are 9.3 pounds of protein, 1.2 pounds of fat, 

 and 58.4 pounds of nitrogen-free extract. It contains 2.5 

 |)ounds of ash and has a nutritive ratio of 1 to 6.6 for 

 chickens. The crude fiber content is 4.2 pounds. 



Buckwheat. — Owing to its large proportion of crude fiber, 

 this grain has a lower per cent of digestible organic matter 

 than any of the grains except oats. Fowls do not eat it readily 

 i)ecause of its dark, unattractive appearance. It has a ten- 

 dency to cause light-colored yolks. The amounts of digestible 

 nutrients found in 100 pounds of buckwheat as determined 

 by digestion exjjeriments with chickens are 0.4 pounds of 

 protein, 2.1 pounds of fat, and 51.9 pounds of nitrogen-free 

 extract. It contains 2 pounds of ash and lias a nutriti\e 

 ratio of 1 to 8.S for chickens. The crude fiber content is 11 7 

 pounds. 



Corn. — As the result of digestion experiments, Bartlett' is 

 led to remark that his results, "like those of Brown and 

 others, show that corn is a most valuable grain for pouhry. 

 Its palatal:)ility and high digestibility has brought it into 

 much favor with all poultrymen. It cannot, of course, l)e 

 fed alone, as it is too concentrated a feed and is also deficient 

 in protein, but when combined with feeds rich in protein and 

 some bulky material, as cut clover, it makes a most desirable 

 ration." 



The Cornell Experiment Station^ records the fact that 

 chickens fed an exclusive corn diet failed to develop satis- 

 factorily. This was especially true of the feathers, which 

 are largely protein. An exclusi\'e corn diet induced sluggish- 

 ness and caused the laying on of masses of internal fat. 



1 Maine Bulletin No. 184. ^ Bulletin No. 25. 



