The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-07-21
SOLVING IDAHO'S
POULTRY PROBLEMS
Poultry Breeding and Feeding Prob
lens Investigated by Prof. ParkhurSt
at the Idaho Experiment Station

| Among the many problems facing
the poultry keepers of Idaho thos'
pertaining to the feeding and breed
portance. The poultry department al
the University of Idaho College o.
Agriculture has been carrying on ex.
periments in these two phases Of
poultry keeping for over ten years
Definite results are being obtained
that should be of great value to both
farmers and commercial poultry
raisers.
The feeding experiments are di-
vided into two projects. The first
deals with the value of certain pro-
tein feeds for laying hens. Carefully
selected pens of single comb white
leghorns are given the same basal or
maintenance ration to which are added
definite amounts and proportions of
sour skim milk, peameal, meatmeal,
and tankage. The results show that
sour skim milk will entirely replace
medLuodl lOT Lie dVcAd6O POuAcAJ
keeper. By combining peameal and
sour skim milk in the ration excel
lent production and profits have been
obtained. When both meatmeal and
sour skim milk make up the ration,
larger eggs are obtained but not as
many as with the peameal and sour
skim milk combination. Both meat
meal and tankage have given profit
able egg production but have not been
able to compete favorably with sour
skim milk when added to the basal
ration. Peamea1 without sour skim
milk In the ration does not prove
profitable.
Experiments have been started to
lind out what part of the sour skim
milk is producing the good results In
egg production. The protein has been
,emoved from the milk and the re-
Iulting product given to the layers. |
Good production still results. The |
milk salts or. ash OF the milk is fed |
IS we'll as Tactic acid of the same |
trength as is found in sour skim
milk. Work with milk casein, one
+ the principal proteins of milk, will
Re begun this fall. Each and every
ortion of sour skim milk will be
ested until the source of the value
f sour skim milk is found.
A new field Of investigational work
4 the feeding of poultry has been
pened with the discovery of vita
lines in feeds. For nearly a year,
pen OF pullets have received daily
ose of cod liver oil in their scratch
atom Slightly increased production
nd exceptionally good health have
ssulted from using this feed which
as such a high percentage of fat
,1uble vitamine A. Marmite, a dried
east product, is fed as a source of
t-soluble vitamine B. Lettuce, a
'urce of new vitamine x, is show
g quite favorable results. This
II, cabbage, which is high in water
luble G vitamine content, will also
investigated. There is no doubt
at the vitamine content of feeds
IS a definite and practical value not
lly in assisting in increased egg
oduction but also in the mainten-
ce of the health of the layers, the
provement of fertility and hatch
ility, and the increase in vigor Of l.
3 growing stock. The practical
lue of the vitamines in feeds is
e of the problems under investi- =,
ton in poultry experiments. in
In addition to the investigational Ic
rk in nutrition, attention also is p,
en- to the breeding factors in
lltry. The university flock now =.
isists almost entirely of the well ~
ablished Larsen strain of single
NIB white leghorns. The fowls have =
ID standard points and high egg -,
Each egg is weighed :.
one-tenth of grain, besides the ~.
Or, shape, and texture of she'll is ~,
orded. The eggs are then Matched
ividually in sacks. A record is 70.
n made of the eggs from the pullets
oh have been Matched from eggs f.,
known characteristics. In this II,
r, a study of the inheritance of COZ
,e characteristics is made. for
mother phase of the breeding work, pe
he progeny testing of males. This the
k with poultry is similar to that me
led on in proving sires in dairy {
animal husbandry work. Each Co
e to be proven is mated to hens ]
Known production some of high. cry
iocre, and poor egg production J
he resulting pullets show an in Gre
sed production on the average /