The Utilization of Wheat and Wheat By-Products in Feeding Young Chickens

Dietary Factors Affecting Feather Growth

“…Inasmuch as these defects were confined almost entirely to pigmentation and very little to structure, the possibility is suggested that different substances are responsible for these two manifestations of feather quality. Poley (1938) found this to be the case. The results of feeding the autoclaved products indicate that a substance necessary for normal pigmentation of feathers is destroyed, but that the autoclaving process does not interfere with a substance for normal structure.…”

“…Wilcke (1936) found that 72 parts of ground whole oats in the ration resulted in normal growth, excellent feathering, and no bone abnormalities. Poley (1938) reported a high percentage of plumage abnormalities when the chicks were fed rations containing ground wheat and ground yellow or white corn. The abnormalities in structure were reduced appreciably by the addition of 15 percent of bran, 15 percent each of bran and middlings, or 5 percent of dried skimmilk, but these substances were ineffective against the abnormalities in pigmentation.…”