The Effect of Oral Adminstration of Hormones Known to Affect Carcass Composition

ALTHOUGH much significant information on hormones in poultry appears in the literature, especially since the series of estrogen papers by Lorenz (1943, 1945 a b), no effort has been made by the author to describe the historical development and application of hormones in nutrition prior to Nalbandov’s (1953) review concerning the endocrine control of physiological functions. Literature reviews of papers on endocrines since 1953 have adequately acknowledged earlier reports and included references to controversies where such occurred. Moreover, even in the paucity of recent papers, there is reflected a considerable variety of interest in hormones and methodology defying generalization which has done little to abate conflicting data or to show the interdependent efforts of nutritionists and physiologists. The following papers, although discretely meritorious, illustrate the continuing incongruity of this fertile area of research: Nitrogen Retention. Eaton et al. (1955) studied 5–7 week old male chicks injected with growth hormone…