The Intake and Output of Fat by the Hen on Low Fat and Normal Ration

BALANCE studies of various dietary factors have been conducted with the chicken as the experimental subject, but scarcely any consideration has been given to the intake and output of fat by this species. Guntherberg (1930) has reported on the digestion of the fat of cereals by hens. The object of the present investigation was the determination of the intake and output of fat by the laying and non-laying hen on normal and low fat rations, to determine the effect of the deprivation of fat on egg production, and the extent to which the chicken can synthesize fat for egg production. EXPERIMENT 1 This experiment was planned to determine the relation between egg production and the fat consumption and output when a normal ration is fed. Throughout the paper the word “fat” is used for convenience instead of the term crude fat or ether extract, which was actually determined. Also the . . .