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The Longevity of Estrogen Pellets
174
RESEARCH NOTES
from hens fed penicillin grew more rapidly than those from hens not receiving antibiotic. In spite of the fact that the chicks were fed penicillin the maternal influence was still apparent at 10 weeks of age. A possible explanation for this effect is that, under the influence of antibiotic, an essential nutrient(s) is synthesized in the intestinal tract of the hen, is then deposited in the egg and utilized by the developing chick. It is of interest that while the progeny received penicillin they failed
to overcome the deficiency of this nutrients). Since the maternal diet contained no animal protein it may be that the factor(s) concerned is an unknown component(s) of the animal protein factor complex. ACKNOWLEDGMENT We wish to thank Merck and Company Ltd., for the crystalline vitamin B12, crystalline procaine penicillin G and APF concentrate No. 8 used in this work.
THE LONGEVITY OF ESTROGEN PELLETS J. H . VONDEI/L University of Massachusetts, Amlterst (Received for publication August 7, 1951)
Lorenz (1943) found that the fat content of cockerels could be increased substantially by subcutaneous implantation of diethylstilbestrol pellets. The general practice has been to implant the pellets about four to six weeks before killing. This time-period has been considered sufficient for maximum fat deposition. Implanting the pellet under the skin at the base of the skull allows for the discarding of any unabsorbed pellet residue with the head, "if" the pellet is not entirely absorbed. Opinions vary concerning the life of the pellets. EXPERIMENTAL
Examination of a group of Barred Rock cockerels, fourteen weeks old, that had been implanted with one pellet six weeks before killing revealed pellet residue onethird to one-half of the original pellet size. In order to test the potency of the unabsorbed pellets they were removed and re-implanted in a test with New Hampshire cockerels. One lot was implanted with one unabsorbed pellet, another with
three unabsorbed pellets, another with a fresh pellet, and the fourth lot was untreated. The test ran six weeks. Potency of the pellets was determined by measuring the comb heights in 1/16 inch gradations. The results showed comb height averages of 1 6/16 inches for the untreated controls, 10/16 inch for the fresh pellets, 11/16 inch for the lot with three unabsorbed pellets, and 14/16 inch where one unabsorbed pellet was used. SECOND TEST
To test the potency of unabsorbed pellets after being cooked, the heads and necks of twelve dressed birds that had been implanted for four weeks were boiled for one hour. After the heads were cooled, pellets were removed from ten and reimplanted in nine-weeks old R. I. Red cockerels. As a check, birds of the same lot were implanted with a fresh pellet, and others were left untreated. Comb heights were taken of all birds at the start and when they were killed four weeks later.
RESEARCH NOTES
The results showed that the comb heights had increased 12/16 inch for the untreated birds, 4/16 inch for the fresh pellets, and 6/16 inch for the re-implanted pellet group. DISCUSSION
These tests definitely indicate that the pellets recovered from males that had been implanted four to six weeks had sufficient potency to suppress comb growth. In removing the pellets from the original
175
birds it was noted that the pellets were, for the most part, imbedded in tissue. Building up tissue and walling-off the pellet may account for the reason that the bird makes use of only part of the value of the pellet. We have not carried the pellet life out to infinity through successive implantations but have kept males suppressed over twenty weeks with one pellet. REFERENCE Lorenz, F . W., 1943. Fattening cockerels by stilbestrol administration. Poultry Sci. 22: 190-191.
EFFECT OF DRIED DISTILLERS' SOLUBLES, WHEY AND LACTOSE UPON ENLARGED HOCKS IN TURKEYS M. L. SCOTT Agricultural Experiment Station and School of Nutrition, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York (Received for publication September 11. 1951)
In a recent report (Scott, 1951a) results were presented which indicated that both dried distillers' solubles and dried whey caused an increase in the incidence of enlarged hocks in young turkeys when added at a level of 5 percent to a diet containing 2 percent of fish liver oil. The results obtained with the single sample of distillers' solubles were not thought to represent typical results to be expected from this material because this sample did not produce the growth response usually obtained in young poults (Scott, 1951b) upon the addition of distillers' solubles to this type of diet. The increased incidence of enlarged hocks obtained when dried whey was used was believed to be due to an unfavorable effect of the lactose contained in dried whey upon certain beneficial microorganisms in the intestinal tract of the turkey. In order to obtain a more representative picture of the value of distillers' solubles in the prevention of enlarged hocks, sam-
pies were obtained from five different distilleries1 and tested on a diet having the same composition as that used in the earlier study (Scott, 1951a). To test further the hypothesis that lactose may be responsible for the aggravation of the enlarged hock disorder observed previously, samples of whey were obtained containing 65 percent, 54 percent and 43 percent of lactose.2 The latter two samples were prepared by removal of part of the lactose from ordinary whey. The distillers' solubles were added to the basal diet at a lc\el of 10 percent. The whey and partially delactosed whey samples were added at the 5 percent level. 1 The author wishes to thank Dr. P. J. Schaible, Distillers Feed Research Council, Cincinnati, Ohio, for arranging shipment of the various samples of distillers' solubles. 2 The author wishes to thank the Western Condensing Company, Appleton, Wisconsin, for the samples of dried whey and dried whey product.
RESEARCH NOTES
from hens fed penicillin grew more rapidly than those from hens not receiving antibiotic. In spite of the fact that the chicks were fed penicillin the maternal influence was still apparent at 10 weeks of age. A possible explanation for this effect is that, under the influence of antibiotic, an essential nutrient(s) is synthesized in the intestinal tract of the hen, is then deposited in the egg and utilized by the developing chick. It is of interest that while the progeny received penicillin they failed
to overcome the deficiency of this nutrients). Since the maternal diet contained no animal protein it may be that the factor(s) concerned is an unknown component(s) of the animal protein factor complex. ACKNOWLEDGMENT We wish to thank Merck and Company Ltd., for the crystalline vitamin B12, crystalline procaine penicillin G and APF concentrate No. 8 used in this work.
THE LONGEVITY OF ESTROGEN PELLETS J. H . VONDEI/L University of Massachusetts, Amlterst (Received for publication August 7, 1951)
Lorenz (1943) found that the fat content of cockerels could be increased substantially by subcutaneous implantation of diethylstilbestrol pellets. The general practice has been to implant the pellets about four to six weeks before killing. This time-period has been considered sufficient for maximum fat deposition. Implanting the pellet under the skin at the base of the skull allows for the discarding of any unabsorbed pellet residue with the head, "if" the pellet is not entirely absorbed. Opinions vary concerning the life of the pellets. EXPERIMENTAL
Examination of a group of Barred Rock cockerels, fourteen weeks old, that had been implanted with one pellet six weeks before killing revealed pellet residue onethird to one-half of the original pellet size. In order to test the potency of the unabsorbed pellets they were removed and re-implanted in a test with New Hampshire cockerels. One lot was implanted with one unabsorbed pellet, another with
three unabsorbed pellets, another with a fresh pellet, and the fourth lot was untreated. The test ran six weeks. Potency of the pellets was determined by measuring the comb heights in 1/16 inch gradations. The results showed comb height averages of 1 6/16 inches for the untreated controls, 10/16 inch for the fresh pellets, 11/16 inch for the lot with three unabsorbed pellets, and 14/16 inch where one unabsorbed pellet was used. SECOND TEST
To test the potency of unabsorbed pellets after being cooked, the heads and necks of twelve dressed birds that had been implanted for four weeks were boiled for one hour. After the heads were cooled, pellets were removed from ten and reimplanted in nine-weeks old R. I. Red cockerels. As a check, birds of the same lot were implanted with a fresh pellet, and others were left untreated. Comb heights were taken of all birds at the start and when they were killed four weeks later.
RESEARCH NOTES
The results showed that the comb heights had increased 12/16 inch for the untreated birds, 4/16 inch for the fresh pellets, and 6/16 inch for the re-implanted pellet group. DISCUSSION
These tests definitely indicate that the pellets recovered from males that had been implanted four to six weeks had sufficient potency to suppress comb growth. In removing the pellets from the original
175
birds it was noted that the pellets were, for the most part, imbedded in tissue. Building up tissue and walling-off the pellet may account for the reason that the bird makes use of only part of the value of the pellet. We have not carried the pellet life out to infinity through successive implantations but have kept males suppressed over twenty weeks with one pellet. REFERENCE Lorenz, F . W., 1943. Fattening cockerels by stilbestrol administration. Poultry Sci. 22: 190-191.
EFFECT OF DRIED DISTILLERS' SOLUBLES, WHEY AND LACTOSE UPON ENLARGED HOCKS IN TURKEYS M. L. SCOTT Agricultural Experiment Station and School of Nutrition, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York (Received for publication September 11. 1951)
In a recent report (Scott, 1951a) results were presented which indicated that both dried distillers' solubles and dried whey caused an increase in the incidence of enlarged hocks in young turkeys when added at a level of 5 percent to a diet containing 2 percent of fish liver oil. The results obtained with the single sample of distillers' solubles were not thought to represent typical results to be expected from this material because this sample did not produce the growth response usually obtained in young poults (Scott, 1951b) upon the addition of distillers' solubles to this type of diet. The increased incidence of enlarged hocks obtained when dried whey was used was believed to be due to an unfavorable effect of the lactose contained in dried whey upon certain beneficial microorganisms in the intestinal tract of the turkey. In order to obtain a more representative picture of the value of distillers' solubles in the prevention of enlarged hocks, sam-
pies were obtained from five different distilleries1 and tested on a diet having the same composition as that used in the earlier study (Scott, 1951a). To test further the hypothesis that lactose may be responsible for the aggravation of the enlarged hock disorder observed previously, samples of whey were obtained containing 65 percent, 54 percent and 43 percent of lactose.2 The latter two samples were prepared by removal of part of the lactose from ordinary whey. The distillers' solubles were added to the basal diet at a lc\el of 10 percent. The whey and partially delactosed whey samples were added at the 5 percent level. 1 The author wishes to thank Dr. P. J. Schaible, Distillers Feed Research Council, Cincinnati, Ohio, for arranging shipment of the various samples of distillers' solubles. 2 The author wishes to thank the Western Condensing Company, Appleton, Wisconsin, for the samples of dried whey and dried whey product.