The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1912-06-13
Some Poultry Experiments.

some FOultry experiments.
Observation on the growth o
chicks of different breeds kept under
similar conditions at the Pennsylvania
Experiment Station were made during
the Summer of 1905 and again in 1907
A comparison of wet and dry mash
was made at the same time. The
mash used in 1906 was fixed in the
following proportion: Fifty pounds
of corn meal, fifteen pounds of gluten
feed, seven and one-half pounds Of
alfalfa meal, twenty-five pounds Of
wheat bran, five pounds of oil meal
and thirteen pounds of animal meal.
In 1907 the mixture was as follows:
Twenty pounds of corn meal, twenty
five pounds ofground oats, ten pounds
of ground buckwheat, ten pounds of
ground millet seed, ten pounds of
ground barley, and fifteen pounds of
ground kaffir corn.
At the close of each feeding test
typical animal Of the different breeds
were slaughtered to determine loss in
dressing, drawing, etc.
Incubation test were also made.
All eggs were weighed and chicks
were weighed as soon as Matched.
A test to force moulting was made
in 1907.
The conclusion drawn from these
experiment are published herewith:
l. Large breeds in general eat
more than small ones during the grow
ing period.
2. Early Matched chicks grow fast
err than late hatched ones. April l
seems to be desirable time for hatch
ing in this latitude,
3. The amount of feed required to
produce pound of gain increases as
the chicks approach maturity.
/. Between the ages of six and
thirteen weeks, there were required
from four to four and three-quarters
pounds of feed to produce pound of
gain. Between the age of thirteen
and twenty-siX weeks, there were
requires from four and three-quarters
to five and three-quarters pounds of
feed to produce a pound of gain.
5. Chicks forced when young do
not make so rapid a growth, as they
maturity, as those fed a
more moderate ration.
6. Chicks weighing less than one
pound seem to grow faster on wet
mash; those weighing pound and
half or more do best on dry feed.
I. The loss among chicks on wet
mash was much greater than among
those on dry feed, even when weigh
ing less than one pound each.
s. The slaughter tests indicate that
the American breeds dress out better
than either the Mediterranean or
Asiatic breeds, and that in general
pulets dress out better than cock
erals. When rather small, weighing
less than three and half pounds
live weight, the cockeral Of the Medi-
terranean and Asiatic breeds seem to
dress out better than the pullets.
8. Forced moulting seemed to first
depress, then increase slightly, egg
production, but the net results at the
end of three months were against
forced moulting.
10. Eggs set about April seemed
to produce the highest per cent of
chicks.
II. The eggs of different breeds
in order of their weight were as fol-
lows: Black Minorco, Light Brahma,
Barred Rock, White Leghorn, White
Rhode Island Red, White
Crested Polish, Buff Cochin. A great
deal may depend upon the strain, as
it is known that some hens Of any
breeds normally lay larger eggs than
others of the same breed.
II. The weight of chicks when
hatched does not seem to be in direct
proportion to weight Of eggs.-The
Fasmer.