No. 8 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. S«6 



Be sure that they have some kind of j-ood, sharp jjjrit, such as 

 mica crystals, oyster shells, etc., and good, fresh water always be- 

 fore them in abundance. I believe that much of the poultry on the 

 farms do not lay in the winter because of the lack of good, fresh, 

 M^arm water. Many of the farmers never stop to lliink that their 

 poultry needs any water; but when they are led to think and to real- 

 ize that an egg is two-thirds water, they will soon see that hens can- 

 not lay eggs without water. 



By careful experiment it has been found that animal matter is a 

 necessity for poultry. It is well known that when they are allowed 

 to range at will they will eat considerable quantities of animal 

 matter in the form of insects, worms, etc. 



How necessarv this animal matter is to the health of fowls, and 

 especially ducks, was strikingly brought out by recent experiments 

 at the New York State Experiment Station. Two lots each of 

 chickens and ducks, as nearly alike as possible, were used in the 

 experiment. One lot in each case was fed a ration of mixed grains 

 and skimmed milk or curd, containing no animal matter. The other 

 a ration of mixed grains with animal meal and fresh bones or dried 

 blood. The two rations were about equally balanced. In one ra- 

 tion, two-fifths to one-half the protein, came from animal sources, 

 while in the other it all came from vegetable sources. Two trials 

 were made with chickens. In each trial more food was eaten by 

 the lot receiving animal protein, the gain in weight was more 

 rapid, maturity was reached earlier, less food was required for each 

 pound of gain, and the cost of gain was less. During the first 

 twelve weeks of the first trial, starting with chicks four days old, 

 the chicks on animal meal gained 56 per cent, more than those on the 

 vegetable diet, although they ate only 36 per cent. more. They re- 

 quired half a pound less of dry matter to gain one pound, and each 

 pound of gain cost only 4^ cents as compared with 5 1-5 cents per 

 pound for the grain-fed birds. During the next eight weeks the 

 cost of gain was 1\ cents and 11 1-3 cents respectively. The animal 

 meal chicks reached two pounds in weight more than five weeks 

 before the others. They reached three pounds more than eight 

 weeks sooner, and three pulled of the lot began laying four weeks 

 earlier than any of the grain-fed birds. With the second lot of 

 chicks the results were much the same, showing a quick healthy 

 growth and early maturity with the birds fed on animal matter. 

 The results with the ducklings was strikingly the same. 



In conclusion, then, it may be said that rations in which from 40 

 to 50 per cent, of the protein was supplied by animal food, gave the 

 best results. By careful management and by following the plan 



25—6—1903 



