The Effects of Velvet Bean Meal Upon the Health of Fowls

Abstract

HISTORICAL The tropical velvet bean flourishes in all of the southern states. The vines grow to a length of from 15 to 75 feet and, if grown with corn, will cover with a dense mat over a large area or if grown alone will cover the ground. The first few years velvet beans were grown, on account of the difficulty encountered in harvesting the matter vines, the fields were used for grazing. During the past few years, however, the vines and beans are harvested in considerable quantities and the beans and pods and vines ground for live stock feeding. Velvet beans make a good yield often reaching 1,800 pounds, or 30 bushels of 60 pounds each, per acre. The velvet bean contains 18.8 per cent protein, 6.3 per cent fat, and 53.7 per cent nitrogen-free-extract. When this feed was thrown on the market in large quantities as a general feed . . .