126 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XIV f No. 3 
minerals of the feed mixtures were in sufficient quantities for the greatest 
rate of growth possible. 
EXPERIMENTAL METHODS 
The baby chicks were produced from a single flock of pure-bred Single- 
Comb White Leghorns bred at the Station and College poultry plant, 
and were hatched in one electric incubator, and each lot was housed 
under similar oil-burning hovers of ioo-chick capacity. A room with a 
concrete floor and ample light and ventilation was used in which to rear 
the flocks. In this room the birds were confined to runs 6 feet square, 
having a smooth galvanized-iron floor laid over the concrete. A hover 
was set in the center of each run. The experiment was carried on in 
periods of seven days each, and extended over at least eight periods, or 
weeks. At the end of each period, after all material which adhered to 
the feet was carefully removed, the chicks were taken out and weighed, 
while the run was cleaned. The floor was swept and then scraped, care 
being taken not to scrape off any of the metal. It was then washed with 
distilled water, by the aid of a brush. This water was then drained into 
a pan, the material placed in an evaporating oven, and the moisture 
driven off. Though every care was taken to be accurate, there is a pos¬ 
sibility that some errors may have crept in during these processes. 
When fed in ordinary troughs, young chicks have a habit of throwing 
out their feed with their beaks, especially if they are not particularly 
hungry, and simply looking for something that might be very palatable 
to them. In order to avoid this wastage, we constructed the double 
boxes shown in Plate 18, a. Clabbered skim milk, the only liquid al¬ 
lowed, was given in 50-cc beakers, set in the ends of the boxes so that 
they could not be turned over. Chick-size limestone grit and chick- 
size oyster shell were given in petri dishes which were placed in another 
container (PI. 18, c). Dry mash, a grain mixture, and cut green feed 
were placed in double boxes (PI. 18, b , d , e). The feed thrown out 
of these double boxes was caught in the outside chamber, and was easily 
recovered.. Rape was the green feed used (PI. 18, /). The droppings 
which were deposited in the boxes were easily removed, after drying, by 
aid of a pair of forceps. 
Table I .—Mineral content of the bodies of the fowls a 
tResults expressed as parts per hundred] 
Age. 
Potas¬ 
sium. 
Sodium. 
! Calcium. 
| Magne- 
j sium. 
Sulphur. 
Chlorin. 
Phos¬ 
phorus. 
Iron. 
Baby chick &. 
o.2922 
. 2380 
. 2750 
0.2774 
. 1580 
. 1640 
0.1978 
1-0340 
1.2970 
0.0028 
. 0440 
• 0510 
0.0107 
.3030 
• 3820 
0.1510 
.0790 
. 2080 
o* 35 S 
z. 288 
x* 5*o 
0.0054 
.0056 
.0066 
M-Pound broiler (Single- 
Comb White Leghorn).. 
i-year-old hen (Columbian 
"Wyandotte). 
a All chemical analyses in this work were made by Mr. Dan M. McCarty, Physiological Chemist, Animal 
Industry Division, North Carolina Experdnent Station. 
i> The baby chicks wtSre taken from the incubator, killed with chloroform, and their abdominal yolk 
sacs removed. 
