Mar. 3,1933 
Time Required for Food to Pass through Fowls 
725 
and of the other in 5 hours and 20 minutes, or an average for these two 
of 4 hours and 20 minutes. An average of the six tests with laying hens 
showed that food passed the entire digestive tract in 3 hours and 46 
minutes. 
Of the three White Plymouth Rock hens that were broody, one passed 
the wheat middlings through the intestinal tract in 6 hours, the second 
in 24 hours, and the third in 14 hours, or an average for these three of 
14 % hours. Of two White Plymouth Rock hens in a broody condition, 
given corn meal, one passed food through the digestive tract in 7 hours 
and the other in 6 hours and 20 minutes, or an average for the five 
broody hens of 11 hours and 45 minutes. 
Of the two chicks weighing approximately 2 pounds each, one passed 
the wheat middlings through the intestinal tract in 3 hours and 50 
minutes and the other in 3 hours and 55 minutes, making an average 
of 3 hours and 52 minutes. 
Of the two chicks weighing approximately 2 pounds each, one passed 
the wheat middlings through the intestinal tract in 3 hours and 50 
minutes and the other in 3 hours and 55 minutes, making am average of 
3 hours and 52 minutes. 
Of four Columbian Wyandotte hens not in laying condition, one 
consumed 5 gm. whole com soaked in gentian violet water and voided 
first excrement in 24 hours; the second consumed 4 gm. and passed the 
first tinted excreta in 25 hours; the third ate 3 gm. and passed the first 
tinted excreta in 26 hours. From this it is evident that gentian violet 
causes constipation followed by a looseness of the bowels indicating 
irritation to the mucosa of the bowel. 
Of six Buff Plymouth Rock hens in laying condition, two consumed 
30 gm. whole corn soaked in methylene blue water and voided the first 
tinted excreta in 3 hours and 10 minutes; the third consumed 35 gm. 
whole corn and voided tinted excreta in 2 hours and 30 minutes; the 
fourth consumed 31 gm. com meal and voided tinted excreta in 3 hours 
and 30 minutes; the fifth consumed 8 gm. corn meal and voided the 
first tinted excreta in 1 hour and 30 minutes; the sixth consumed 7 
gm. com rneal^ and voided the first tinted excreta in 2 0 hours. 
In these tests there was a tendency for small amounts of methylene 
blue to cause constipation and larger doses to cause irritation with 
specks of blood on the semiliquid evacuations. There was only one 
exception to this tendency and that was the bird that consumed 8 gin. 
of corn and evacuated in 1 hour and 30 minutes. 
SUMMARY 
Digestive processes of the fowl are rapid. The greatest rapidity is 
shown in the laying and the growing fowl, the passage of food requiring 
on an average 3 hours and 52 minutes for growing fowls and 3 hours 
and 46 minutes for laying hens. Next in activity comes the adult hen 
not in laying condition, requiring 8 hours, and then the broody hen, 
requiring an average of 11 hours and 44 minutes. 
It was noted that broody hens behaved the same in the experimental 
coops as on the nest; that is, the evacuations were fewer and the quantity 
evacuated each time increased over that of a normal hen. 
We have not taken as accurate the fowls in which gentian violet or 
methylene blue were given, as it exercised influence on the normal 
function of the intestinal tract. 
In all these tests the hens were placed in the coops the day before the 
trial so that the crop was empty when the test feed was given. 
