June, 1951]
D.
PARTHASARATHY
AND
S.
G.
IYEB
111
DISCUSSION
The fact that there was marked comb growth in the chickens of either sex.in
the group receiving 10 per cent cow manure dried at 80°C. showed that the androgenic
potency of the cow manure had not been destroyed by drying at 80°C. for 24 hours.
This is at variance with the finding of Whitson et al. [1946] that the androgenic
poteacy of the cow manure could be destroyed by drying at 80°C. for 24 hours.
An examination of the body weight data (Table II) revealed that the maximum
growth was obtained in the group receiving milk. The growth was lowest in the
group getting cow manure. This showed that the cow manure had not stimulated
any growth in the chickens. The average body weight was lower than that in the
negative control group even. It is probable that drying at 80°C. for 24 hours had
destroyed the growth promoting factors with the result that the resulting cow manure
was devoid of any of the growth promoting factors and has no nutritive value The
destruction of the growth promoting factors might also be due to the fact that the
cow manure was first dried in the sun and then put in the oven at 80°C. On the
other hand Whitson et al. [1946] dried the fresh manure immediately after collection,
or kept the manure at 0°C. for storage before drying.
In the experiments of Hammond [1942] and Turner [1947] the cow manure
replaced wither in part or in whole the alfalfa meal. In the present experiment,
however, the dried cow manure replaced ten per cent of the total mash and if the
presumption of the destruction of the growth factors by drying at 30°C. is correct
it is no wonder that the cow manure mixed ration will have a lower nutritive value
as in fact it represents only 90 per cent of the original ration. This may account
for the lower growth in the case of the cow manure fed group in comparison with
the negative control group.
Further in the experiments of the above workers, animal protein supplements
have been used to replace alfalfa meal. In the presence of animal protein supple-
ments the efficacy or otherwise of the cow manure may not fully manifest itself.
In spite of the incorporation of an animal protein supplement, it would be seen in
the experiment of Turner [1947] that up to 8 weeks of age, the growth rate in the
group getting 10 per cent cow manure was nearly the same as in the control group so
far as females are concerned, while in the case of males it was much lower. At
10 weeks of age, however, cow manure seems to have exerted a marked improvement.
In this experiment growth was studied up to 8 weeks of age only.
Since in this experiment the feeding of cow manure has induced comb develop-
ment suggestive of hormonal activity without increasing body weight, it is inferred
that the androgenic hormone is not responsible for stimulation of growth, and that
it is different from the growth factor.
SUMMARY
An experiment has been conducted to see if processed cow manure can be
incorporated in a ration devoid of animal protein supplements, to increase the
growth and make the ration less expensive. It has been found that in spite of
drying at 80° C. for 24 hours the cow manure retained some androgenic potency
and no evidence of growth promoting activity was observed.