274 POULTRY CULTURE 



soluble substance is left out of the feed of animals as laboratory 

 rabbits or rats, no sore eyes will develop, but in a few weeks 

 there will be paralysis of the hind legs followed by death. 

 This is a condition called beri beri or polyneuritis. Nature 

 stores up vitamine for the young bird, this vitamine being in 

 the j^olk of the egg. 



MacCoUom says that egg pound for pound is three times as 

 valuable as beef, pork, or mutton, and six times as valuable as 

 peas or beans. 



It will require from 25 to 40 pounds of green leaves of vege- 

 tables to equal one pound of egg from a vitamine standpoint. 

 Thick storage leaves do not contain as much vitamines as thin 

 non-storage leaves. 



Proteins are found in the living parts of the plant. They 

 occur in a dissolved state in the circulating fluids and in the 

 solutions of the cell vacuoles, that is, in the cell sap. They 

 occur in a semi-dissolved state in the protoplasm, and in the 

 undissolved state as reserve protein in the cells of seeds, tubers, 

 and roots. 



An analyses of these proteins show the following amino 

 acids: Histidin, arginin, lysin, cystin, tryptophane, tyrosin, 

 serin, glutaminic acid, aspartic acid, phenylalanine, proline, 

 leucine, valine, alanine, and glyacoll. Certain of these 

 amino acids are essential for maintenance, among these may 

 be mentioned tryptophane and Histidin. Others are essential 

 to growth of the bird. Among these may be mentioned lysin 

 and cystin. 



From this discussion it will be seen that the principal groups 

 of food nutrients taken into consideration in the balancing of 

 rations is the proper amounts of protein, hydrocarbons (fats 

 and oils), and carbohydrates (starches and sugars), with a 

 proper consideration of salts. This latter in the case of the 

 young and rapidly growing chicks is very essential. 



The amount of water in the body varies, but in general we 

 may say that the amount will run from 55 to 75 per cent, of 

 the body weight. In hot weather more water is lost from the 

 body than in cool weather, and hence more is consumed. 

 More is also consumed when the fowl is exercising than when 

 quiet. Fowls consume large quantities of water. Water is 



