Dietary Factors Affecting Feather Growth

LACK of proper feather development is of considerable economic importance, particularly in the broiler industry where the occurrence of “barebacks” presents a serious problem. This is a condition in which the birds fail to feather properly over the dorsal region, and it is highly undesirable from a market standpoint. Improper growth of feathers manifests itself in several ways other than the “bareback” condition. Faulty structure of the feather itself and abnormal plumage patterns are among the most obvious, and these conditions result in an unthrifty appearance of the poultry flock. That many factors are involved in normal feather development is evidenced by the large variety of reports dealing with feather studies. However, most of the earlier investigations were confined to studies of genetic and hormonal influences. Several investigators have reported that cereal grains differ markedly with regard to their influence upon growth and feather development. Branion (1934), Wilcke (1936), and . . .