No. 5. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



215 



This mash should be kept before the birds all of the time in large 

 self-feeding hoppers. During the moulting season in the fall it is 

 desirable to substitute oil meal for the gluten meal in the same 

 proportion to hasten the growth of feathers. As soon as the birds 

 get on green grass range, the alfalfa can be gradually omitted and 

 the meat scrap slightly reduced in amount. The extent to which 

 the above mash can be cut during the summer will depend upon the 

 character and amount of the range which is allowed the birds. 



The mash as given is designed especially for the feeding of Leg- 

 horns; when heavier breeds are kept such as Plymouth Rocks or 

 Wyandottes, especially with yearling or two-year-old hens, the ten- 

 dency will be for them to take on an excess of fat. Under such con- 

 ditions it is the best policy to restrict the amount of mash eaten 

 by leaving the hopper open during the afternoon only, thus inducing 

 the birds to work during the morning hours for the cracked grain 

 fed in the litter at the morning feeding. The following modifica- 

 tion of the above mash will be found very economical for summer 

 feeding where the hens have considerable range and plenty of grow- 

 ing green food : 



MIXTURE NO. 1 A.— SUMMER DRY MASH 



Kind of Food 



o 



Wheat bran, 



Wheat middlings, 

 Ground oats, ... 



Gluten feed, 



Meat scrap, 



The average cost per 100 pounds is $1.70. 



$3 20 



1 75 



1 65 



85 



75 



?S 20 



As a supplemental ration to the dry mash, the following grain 

 rations are fed. A scratching ration of whole grain is fed every 

 morning, both winter and summer, about 9 o'clock in deep litter. 

 Its primary object, aside from its nutritive value, is to induce the 

 birds to take a considerable amount of exercise. About 5 pounds 

 of this scratching ration is fed to each 100 birds on the floor of the 

 house or under some shelter where the litter is dry and where there 

 is protection from cold winds. The scratching ration is made up 

 as follows: 



