176 Bureau of Farmers' Institutes. 



Mr. Jennin. — Tliree square feet where scratching shed is used. 

 Four square feet where no scratching shed is used. 



Question. — What manner of poultry houses would be the most 

 economical and profitable for the caring of large flocks of poultry? 

 How many of the American varieties should be kept in one room? 



Mr. McGrew. — The size of the poultry houses must depend 

 largely upon the space that can be allotted to them and our ability 

 to build. The most profitable house is the one that furnishes 

 sufficient space in which the fowl may hunt and dig for food 

 without crowding upon each other. Twenty-five hens of the 

 American varieties are as many as should be kept in one colony 

 for the best results. We have seen this number do well in a room 

 10x12, but they will do better if a space of 10x14 or larger can 

 be allotted to them, if confined all the time during cold weather. 



Question. — What number of hens should be kept in a flock? 



Mr. Chapman. — It don't make any particular difference. I 

 know a man who has 400 in one long building; but the trouble 

 with so large a flock is the difficulty experienced in feeding them. 

 About 40 in a flock will be found best. 



Mr. Jennin. — Twenty to twenty-five. 



FEEDING POULTKY. 



Question. — What is a balanced ration for hens? 



Mr. Chapman. — A ration that contains in proper per cents, the 

 elements of the egg, which are fat, water, albumen, etc. A good 

 one is two parts of oats, two of buckwheat and one of wheat. 

 Sweet skim milk is also fed, and a bushel of beets every day to 

 about 300 hens. 



Question. — What is the best method of feeding hens for egg 

 production ? Give in pounds the kinds of foods used in the ration. 



Mr. Rice. — We scatter wheat, corn, oats and buckwheat in the 

 litter on the poultry house floor in the morning, and make the 

 hens work for it. At noon we feed a ration made of 100 pounds 

 of wheat bran, 100 pounds of wheat middlings, 100 pounds of 

 corn meal, 100 pounds of ground oats and 100 pounds of meat 

 meal. It is mixed and fed as a warm mash. At night feed same 

 as morning. 



Mr. Jennin. — For 100 hens, rations for 1 day, 16 pounds corn, 

 9 pounds oats, 6 pounds bran, f pound beef scrap. 



Mr. Stevens. — I have experimented with a large number of 

 foods for winter feeding, and find that a ration made from 100 



