Peeve POO HOR POULTRY, 
, W. P. WHEELER. 
SUMMARY. 
Of two rations which contained practically the same proportions 
of the ordinarily considered groups of constituents, but different 
amounts of mineral matter, one wholly of vegetable origin proved 
much inferior for growing chicks to the other ration, higher in 
ash content, containing animal food. 
When the deficiency of mineral matter was made good by the 
addition of bone ash, the vegetable food ration for chicks equalled 
or somewhat surpassed in efficiency the corresponding ration in 
which three-eighths of the protein was derived from animal food. 
For laying hens the rations containing animal food proved 
superior to others in which all the organic matter was derived from 
vegetable sources. The vegetable-food ration supplemented by 
bone ash proved equally efficient for limited periods. 
Rations containing animal food proved very much superior for 
ducklings to rations of vegetable origin which had, according to 
the ordinary methods of estimation, practically the same nutritive 
value. <A ration of vegetable food supplemented by bone ash 
¢ 
proved much inferior to another ration of similar “ composition ” 
in which three-eighths of the protein came from animal food. 
INTRODUCTION. 
Information about foods is one of the first essentials in poultry 
keeping. A very important part of this information concerns the 
necessity or economy of using animal food. The need for data 
* Reprint of Bulletin No. 171. 
