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Show Sprouted Grain Is Source of Vitamin A Wheat or Oat Shoots Will Supply Poultry If you are having a hard time buying enough feeding oils, alfalfa meal and yellow corn for your poultry poul-try laying flock. Dr. M. W. Taylor, associate biochemist In nutrition at Rutgers university, suggests you try sprouted grains to supply that essential es-sential vitamin A. Through his research Dr. Taylor has found that sprouted wheat or oats grown in flat trays for about two weeks, with exposure to sunlight sun-light to promote greenness. Is a fairly fair-ly good source of carotene or provitamin pro-vitamin A. "At least, It Is a good source to use when natural grass range or silage is not available," he says. "A potency of 5.000 U.S.P. units per pound of fresh seedlings may easily be obtained and, as many poultry-men poultry-men already know, this material is readily consumed by hens. Fed at the rate of 5 pounds per 100 hens per day, the seedlings will furnish about one-third the recommended amount of vitamin A which is enough to prevent a serious deficiency." Spread Grain in Trays. For poultrymen who have never sprouted grains before. Dr. Taylor outlines the procedure: "Oats or wheat are your best choice, since they sprout easily, grow fairly quick and are usually available. Soak them overnight to promote rapid sprouting. Next, spread them out in one-fourth inch layers in flat trays with two or three sheets of newspapers in the bottom so the trays hold moisture around the roots. The thickness is important impor-tant If too thick, the seedlings will not develop sufficient green color. If too thin, the roots will be exposed ex-posed to too much air and light. "Keep the tray moist by sprinkling sprin-kling once or twice daily with water wa-ter containing chloride of lime at the rate of a heaping teaspoonful to a pail (three gallons) of water. The chloride of lime will keep down mold growth. "For the first two or three days, or until sprouting is definitely noticed, no-ticed, keep the tray in subdued light. After this, place it near a sunny window so it will receive as much light as possible. The stronger the light the higher the vitamin A content. con-tent. Slow growth in a cool room is better than rapid growth at high temperatures." The one drawback of sprouted grains is the space required to grow them. However, Dr. Taylor estimates esti-mates that a total of 10 square feet of sprouting area, divided in three parts and used in rotation, will produce pro-duce from 1 to 2Vz pounds of seedlings seed-lings daily, or enough for 20 to 50 hens. |