42 
The Bulletin 
to kinds and quantities of minerals, there is a possibility that there 
are other factors undiscovered, which have a profound bearing on 
growth, egg production, and the preparing of pullets, by aiding the 
storing up of potential energy, for early and heavy egg production. 
Other data shows that pullets grown on range or in confinement, and 
not receiving animal food of any kind though the protein calories 
were above those indicated in comparison rations given above, were 
not prepared for early heavy egg production and do not show high 
egg yields until animal food of some kind has been added. In this 
instance this was the soybean meal and peanut meal lots. In the second 
and third periods the balance of intake was acid. 
Further studies are being made to determine if acid feeds will in any 
way interfere with either growth, or egg production. In these studies 
Rations 5 and 6 can be made base by the addition of ground limestone 
or ground oyster shell. The amounts to be added would depend upon 
the proportions in which the mash and grain was fed. 
In the second section of this work we find, by a study of Table 
XXIV, that the grain Rations Nos. 9 and 11 are acid and the mash 
is base. In these mash mixtures there has been added both bone meal 
and meat and bone meal. Wheat middlings also aid in overcoming 
the acidity of corn meal and of rolled oats. 
In this second, work was run with Single Comb White Leghorns, 
the first period extending from the time of hatching to eight weeks of 
age. In this case the total intake excess was base. The per cent pro¬ 
tein calories was 22. 
CONCLUSIONS 
Grain mixtures as ordinarily used in poultry feeding are acid. 
Mash mixtures containing sufficient quantities of digester tankage, 
meat and bone meal, dried milk, or dried blood, will be base. 
Acid balances of feed mixtures can be overcome by the addition to 
mashes of dried milk, digester tankage, meat and bone meal, bone 
meal, dried blood, or ground limestone or oyster shell. Green feed, 
milk to drink, and limestone and oyster shell grit also aid in overcom¬ 
ing the acid balance of grain mixtures. 
