June 2„ 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W, 44a 



To turn to the present possibilities, however, it will be remembered that 

 during the feed crisis of 1915 a number of more or less available substitutes 

 wer^ suggested in these notes as likely to eke out to some extent the then 

 meagre supplies of poultry foods ; and more recently the attention of 

 poultry farmers has been directed to the advisability of growing lucerne on 

 their farms wherever water is available — as is now the case with a great 

 number. The value of lucerne for feeding in the morning mash, both in its 

 green state and also when made into hay and used as chaff, was pointed out 

 in these notes in February of this year. Many poultry farmers have 

 responded to the advice there given, but it is safe to say that hundreds of 

 others could have done likewise with great profit to themselves, and could 

 have thus permanently relieved the food situation to a considerable extent. 



General Food Substitutes. 



In regard to the morning mash it is scarcely possible or advisable to 

 attempt to make a food mash without the basis of it being either pollard or 

 wheatmeal, together perhaps with bran. It would probably be better to feed 

 mixed cereals alone than to make a mash without one or otheiy of these, but 

 a very good mash can be made containing only about 40 to 'oO per cent, of 

 one or more of those products. 



For instance, if we take say, 45 per cent.' of pollard, or pollard, bran or 

 wheatmeal combined, and add 35 per cent, of chaffed green food, such as 

 lucerne or barley, with 10 per cent, of coconut oil cake, 5 per cent, linseed 

 meal, and 5 per cent. M.I.B. meat or Compo meal, we would secure a very 

 well-balanced mixture for the morning mash. 



Again, if we start with 45 per cent, pollard, or that article combined with 

 bran or wheatmeal, and add 15 per cent, of good chaffed lucerne hay, 

 another 10 per cent, in the green state, 10 per cent, coconut oil cake,. 

 5 per cent, linseed meal, 10 per cent, millet meal (now available in 

 Sydney), and 5 per cent. M.I.B. meat or Compo meal, another good 

 mash would be secured. 



Then again, oaten pollard or wheatmeal could take the place of pollard 

 with very little alteration in the balanced nature of the mash, and yet again,. 

 boiled vegetables, such as potatoes, pumpkins, mangolds, &c., with the water 

 drained away, might enter into the composition of the mash to the extent of 

 10 to 20 per cent. All these percentages should be worked on weights. 



In regard to the -evening feed, nothing as yet known can supplant wheat 

 or maize or both as the cereal portion of the ration, but the meagre supply 

 of these might be augmented by the use of grain such as oats, barley, or 

 sorghum or millet seeds. Of the latter, however, 10 to 20 per cent, is 

 sufficient, while oats might be used to almost any extent, either taking the 

 place of wheat or maize, or in addition to them, preferably in the proportion 

 of one-third of each. ' 



It would unnecessarily overload these notes and make thorn somewhat oo 

 technical, and perhaps confusing to the layman, to give the analytical com- 

 positions of each of these ingredients so that a balanced ration could be 

 worked out to a nicety on these suggestions ; and what is more, they could 



