348 POULTRY PRODUCTION 



]Vheat Bran. — Wheat ))raii is a by-product of flour manu- 

 facture and consists of the outer layer of the wheat kernel. It 

 is one of tlie most popular means of adding hulk to the mash. 

 Its chaHy character has seemed to make it j)articularly well 

 suited for mixing with some of the heavier concentrates, as 

 corn meal, oil meal, middHngs, and gluten feed. It is also 

 said to have a cooling effect upon the digestive tract and be 

 slightly laxati\'e in character due t<i tlie ])rcsence of ph> tic 

 aciiL It frcciuently forms 50 ])cr cent of the constituents of 

 a mash intended for mature stock and is just as frequently 

 kei)t constantly before ^'ery young chicks without addition 

 of other feedstuff's. 



The only data as to its digestibility available represent 

 three experiments by Bartlett' which uniformly show a 

 decidedl>' low digestibility of the organic matter. He further 

 found that a mixture of equal parts of fine-cut clover and 

 corn meal was sufficiently- bulky to feed with concentrates 

 and was more digestible and, for the East at least, a more 

 (economical feed than bran. 



It may be that bran, like succulence, will continue to be fed 

 for its physiological effect rather than its feed value. There 

 is need of further light upon its exact value as a constituent 

 for mashes. 



The amounts of digestible nutrients found in 100 pounds of 

 wheat bran as determined by digestion experiments with 

 chickens are 11 pounds of protein, 1.4S pounds of fat, and 

 24.79 pounds of nitrogen-free extract. It contains 5.8 pounds 

 of ash and has a nutritive ratio of 1 to 2.5 for cliickens. The 

 crude liber content is 0.5 jiomids. It is high in the ^\ater 

 solubji.' but low in the fat soluble. 



Succulence. — Regarding green feed, Jaffa' remarks that it 

 " must be considered from the stand-point of its medicinal or 

 h_ygienic value rather than from the stand-pcjlnt of nutrition. 

 Some green stuff, like alfalfa and the legmnes in general, 

 possesses a much higher food value, but the more tender anti 

 succulent the green, the more it is enjoyed. Some green stuff 

 should always be given as a separate feed where it is possible 



' Maine Bulletin No. 184. 



" California Bulletin No. 164. 



