20 

 AxiMAL Foods for Fowls. 



The most expensive foods given to fowls are the animal foods. These are 

 used as a substitute for the worms and insects that form a portion of the natural 

 summer food of fowls upon free range. Flocks confined to small runs require to 

 be fed more or less animal foods during the winter, and during very long dry 

 spells in the summer; even where the range is unlimited it frequently pays to feed 

 a little animal food. 



Animal foods usually assist very materially in the production of eggs in 

 winter. By some people these foods are considered as a forcing food, that is to 

 say, they will induce heavy laying, which in some instances may be followed by 

 serious sickness, or possibly the injury may be only very slight; in fact unnotice- 

 able, except that the egg^^ from birds so fed may be of very low hatching power. 



It is generally believed, and I think rightly so, that good egg yields cannot 

 annually be secured without the use of such foods as green cut bone, beef scrap, or 

 cooked refuse meat, etc. Many believe that the larger the amount of these foods 

 fed the greater will be ihe egg production. There is good ground for doubting 

 this statement, in that these foods are expensive, and the extra eggs may cost more 

 than they are worth. Moreover, herein is where serious injury may be done to the 

 hen's digestive and reproductive organs. 



Milk is available on many farms, and it is claimed that as an egg producer 

 this food is equal in value to any of the meat foods. Our experience has been that 

 sour milk for fowls has a slightly greater value than sweet milk, and is certainly 

 much more easily obtained. 



Three years ago we planned an experiment with the idea of studying what 

 effect various animal foods would have upon the egg production, and the hatching 

 power of the eggs. 



Below is given the results of the first three years' work, that of 1909-1910 

 being carried on with Buff Orpington pullets, that of 1910-1911 with Ehode Island 

 Eed hens and pullets, and 1911-1912 with Leghorn pullets. 



There were twenty-five females and two males in each pen, and all were housed 

 in the same building. The grain and green food used were the same in each pen. 



The animal foods are reckoned at the following prices : 



Buttermilk 20c. per 100 lbs. Beef scrap $3 per 100 lbs. Green cut bone $3 

 per 100 lbs. 



Experimental Feeding wit?i Buef Orpingtons. 



The foUowino- are the results for 7 months, from Oct. 1st, 1909, to April 30th, 



