New York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. OI 
Although growth was seriously checked under the inefficient 
ration, the possibility of a fairly rapid growth under a better ration 
later was not altogether prevented. When the ducklings that had 
been fed the poorer ration for nearly sixteen weeks were changed 
to the animal food ration for a month there was at once a much 
more rapid increase in weight, but the birds never attained the full 
size reached by the other lot. 
The average weight of one pound was attained by the ducklings 
having the animal food three weeks sooner than by the contrasted 
lot, and at seven weeks of age the average weight of three pounds 
as against one pound. ‘The average weight of about 4.5 pounds 
was reached at nine weeks when the average for those fed the 
vegetable food was about 1.5 pounds. 
The rations in which from 40 to 50 per ct. of the protein came 
from animal food gave in every trial more economical results than 
the rations in which most of the protein came from vegetable food— 
as usual chiefly different grains. 
In this first series of experiments the effects of the rations com- 
pared were plain enough, but it was not certain how much the re- 
sults were influenced by the difference in palatability of the two 
rations. This difference was not very apparent with the chicks 
and cockerels, but was quite evident in the case of the ducklings. 
With the foods then available this inferior palatability of the one 
ration could not be entirely remedied except by addition of too 
large a proportion of materials that could not class as vegetable. 
During the next season a second series of feeding experiments was 
continued in which a similar contrast of rations was provided, but 
by using an exceptional variety of grain foods rations were made 
which did not seem to differ as to palatability. There was little 
difference in the protein content between the two rations, but in 
the one vegetable food only was used, while in the other about 37 
per ct. of the protein was derived from animal food. 
Ten lots of chicks were fed these rations, also six lots of imma- 
ture pullets, two lots of ducklings, two lots of young hens and two 
lots of old hens. 
The results of feeding were like those of the first series of feed- 
ing trials. With every two lots of chicks contrasted, those having 
the animal food ration consumed more food, the excess varying 
from 12 to 34 per ct., and made a faster growth by from 22 to 
too per ct. The amount of dry matter in the food required for 
_each pound gain in weight varied from 3.6 to 4.4 pounds under the 
animal food ration and from 4.3 to 6.8 pounds under the vegetable 
