52 POULTRY FEEDING AND FATTENING 



lot in each case was fed a ration of mixed grains and 

 skimmilk or curd, containing no animal matter, the 

 other ration of mixed grains, with animal meal and 

 fresh bones or dried blood. The two rations were about 

 equally well balanced, although the "animal matter" 

 ration contained a little less protein than the "vegetable 

 matter" ration. The distinctive difference between the 

 two rations was that in the one case two-fifths to one- 

 half of the protein came from animal sources, while in 

 the other it all came from vegetable sources. Two 

 trials were made with chickens. 



In each trial more food was eaten by the lot 

 receiving animal protein, the gain in weight was more 

 rapid, maturity was reached earlier, less food was 

 required for each pound of gain, and the cost of gain 

 was less. 



During the first twelve weeks of the first trial 

 (starting with chickens one-half week old) the chicks 

 on animal meal gained fifty-six per cent more than 

 those on the vegetable diet, although they ate only 

 thirty-six per cent more; they required half a pound 

 less of dry matter to gain one pound, and each pound 

 of gain cost only four and one-quarter cents, as com- 

 pared with five and one-fifth cents for the grain- 

 fed birds. 



During the next eight weeks the cost of gain was 

 seven and one-half cents and eleven and one-fifth cents, 

 respectively. The animal-meal chicks reached two 

 pounds in weight more than five weeks before the 

 others; they reached three pounds more than eight 

 weeks sooner, and three pullets of the lot began laying 

 four weeks earlier than any among the grain-fed birds. 



With the second lot of clucks, starting at six weeks 

 of age, the differences were in the same direction, 

 though not quite so striking, thus showing that the great 

 advantage of the animal nitrogen is in promoting 



