49 



Rations for Fattening Chickens. 



It is difficult to give a ration suitable for fattening- chickens and that meets 

 the requirements of every individual. Many of us have to use whatever foods 

 are available, and for that reason we are giving several rations that have worked 

 fairly well with us in a general way. It may be said that the grains in a ration 

 should be ground as finely as possible; and further, some grit should be fed to 

 the chickens at least once a week, and it is also desirable that the food should be 

 mixed to the consistency of a pancake batter, so it will pour, and, moreover, the 

 best results are procured when the food is mixed twelve hours previous to feeding. 



The best ration that we have yet used is one composed of two parts of finely 

 ground oats, two parts of finely ground buckwheat, and one of finely ground 

 corn; to this is added sufficient sour milk to make a batter, or ordinarily about 

 two to two and one-half pounds of milk to one pound of grain. We have gotten 

 very good results from a ration composed of equal parts of corn meal, middlings 

 and buckwheat meal. Frequently barley meal can be substituted for the buck- 

 wheat, or oat meal for the middlings. It is desirable, if possible, ta always use 

 milk, as much better gains are made with it than with any other food. Where 

 milk is not available, blood meal, and beef scrap can be substituted, but we would 

 not advise more than 15 per cent, of the gi'ain ration to consist of these foods. 

 We would advise soaking the blood meal, or beef scrap, in warm water for twelve 

 hours previous to being mixed with the grain. We have gotten better results 

 in some cases and equally as good in all cases by feeding any of the above mixtures 

 cool or cold rather than warm — that is to say, there were no better gains made 

 by keeping the food at 70 or 80 degrees than at 30 or 35 degrees. 



It is of the utmost importance that the birds be kept with keen appetites, 

 as a little over-feeding on the commencement usually means indifferent gains. 

 One should be careful to have the birds free from lice or other insects, and as 



