The Utilization of Food Elements by Growing Chicks. XIII. The Effect of Additions of Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal to High Corn Chick Rations

SUMMARY Feeding trials were conducted on three groups of chicks in eight lots receiving a growing mash containing dehydrated alfalfa m eal at levels of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, O, 12, and 15 per cent. Comparisons were not made simultaneously but no general trend toward growth d e-press ion was evident in comparable lots. In addition duplicate trials of four lots of n ewly hatched New H ampshire chicks were made on pelleted rations carrying 0, 2, 4, and 6 p er cent of a good quality d eh ydrated alfalfa meal. The chicks were all fed accurately known amounts of the p elleted rations for six weeks. In each of the duplicate trials the lot fed 2 per cent alfalfa meal made slightly better gains than the other lots. The lo ts fed 4 and 6 p er cent alfalfa made as good gains as the control lo ts fed no alfalfa. It is evid ent that with the sample of dehydrated alfalfa meal used in these exp eriments no adverse effect was produced by the alfalfa. Another trial of four lots was made on rations containing 0, 5, 10 a nd 15 p er cenr of alfalfa meal. In this case equal gains were m ad e b y each of the alfalfa-fed lots and all were better than the control without alfalfa. It is also seen that the efficiency of gain was hi gher in the alfalfa-fed lots than in the control. 3erhaps most inter esting of all is the difference in time required to finish equal amounts of feed. H ere the advantage is d efinitely in favor of the alfalfa-fed lots.