Successful all-vegetable rations for poultry feeding employing locally available feedstuffs have been previously developed for use in Central America (6,7). With this experience and other studies of the value of plants which grow well in the area, INCAP Mixture 8 ( V M 8) a vegetable mixture for human consumption has been developed from local foods and tested (1,.5). This formula has been shown to be effective for the treatment, and suitable for the prevention, of a form of severe protein malnutrition in children known as kwashiorkor which is common in Central America as in many other technically underdeveloped areas of the world.In order to improve the commercial practicability of this V M 8 formula for human feeding and also to give greater flexibility to the formulation of poultry rations from locally grown plants, the use of buckwheat (Fugopyrum escuknturn) as a source of carbohydrates and quality protein in such mixtures has been explored. Buckwheat is of particular interest since it is easily cultivated and yields well in the area and has been shown to have a relatively high nutritive value (9). MATERIAL AND METHODSBuckwheat (Fugopyrum escztlenfum) is reported to contain 1 l.Z$% of protein, 2.4% fat, 64.0% carbohydrates, 10.7% crude fiber, 1.7% ash and to have a lysine content of 0 .689% (2,3). The sample selected for these studies was grown in the Guatemala City area (elevation 5,000 feet). It was tested (a) as a replacement for the carbohydrate base of the V M 8 mixture and (b) as a source of lysine, which is one of the limiting amino acids of all-vegetable protein mixtures for chicks (8).Straight run 3-day old New Hampshire chicks were employed. No more than 12 chicks were housed in each all-wire cage. Heat was thermostatically controlled as required by the age of the bird. All experimental animals received water and feed ad libitum, and were weighed individually each week for a 35-day period. The rations fed, number, growth and the efficiencies of feed utilization of the chicks are presented in Table 1. RESULTSGround buckwheat was first tested as a substitute for corn and sorghum. In experiment 1, the buckwheat was fed to replace O.O%, 33.376, 66.6% and 100.0~0 of the ground corn of an all-vegetable protein diet containing sesame, cottonseed and corozo oil meals as the principal sources of proteins. The significant linear response in the growth of the chicks and increased efficiency of feed utilization to each increased percent of buckwheat except the first indicates that buckwheat was superior to corn in these rations.

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