The Effect of Alfalfa Leaf Meal and Dried Cereal Grass on Egg Production and Hatchability

NUMEROUS experiments have shown that the addition of green feeds improves poultry breeding rations. These experiments have, to a large extent, been designed to show the value of green feeds as sources of carotene and riboflavin (Hunt, Winter, and Bethke, 1939; Williams, Lampman, and Bolin, 1939; Halpin and Holmes, 1936; Sherwood and Fraps, 1932, 1934, and 1935; Bearse and Miller, 1937). Alfalfa leaf meal and dried cereal grass have also been shown to be excellent sources of vitamin K (Almquist and Stokstad, 1936; Cravens, Randle, Elvehjem, and Halpin, 1941. Hunt, Winter, and Bethke (1939) have presented evidence that alfalfa leaf meal contains some factor other than carotene or riboflavin which is required for satisfactory reproduction in poultry. The experiments to be reported herein were designed to compare alfalfa leaf meal and dried cereal grass1 as supplements to laying and breeding rations. The relative value of these two supplements as sources . . .