Synthetic steroids can change the way living things grow and gain weight — and chickens make a measurable test subject. Sixteen chickens were divided into four groups. One group received no treatment and served as the control. The other three groups each got a different steroid at the same dose, starting at day 33 of a 45-day period. Every other day, each chicken was weighed. The control group gained the most weight. As a result, the groups receiving steroids gained less. Depo-medrol had the strongest effect on slowing weight gain, a result that matched the prediction from a previous year's experiment.