504 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Taking all these facts into consideration it seems safe to draw the con- 

 clusion that with an abundant supply of green bone and vegetables there 

 is a slight advantage on the side of grinding the grain food of young 

 chickens fairly tine and giving it to them at least twice a day in the form 

 of a damp and crumbling but not sloppy mush. 



II. Wheat against cracked corn. From the 12th of July to the 23rd 

 of August the same two pens of chickens were used to compare whole 

 wheat with cracked corn for growing chickens. The two pens at that 

 time were alike in thriftiness, the oyster shells, green bone and vegetable 

 feeds were continued. The number of chickens in Pen 1, was 43 and in 

 Pen 2, 44. Pen 1, received whole wheat and Pen 2, coarsely cracked 

 corn. Each pen received in the six weeks 37.5 pounds of lettuce, 162 

 pounds of cabbage and 48 pounds of rhubarb, besides 10.75 pounds of 

 oyster shell and 14.5 pounds of green bone. Pen 1, consumed 145.25 

 pounds of wheat and Pen 2, 159.5 pounds of cracked corn. 



On the 23rd of August Pen 1, weighed 101.5 pounds, making a gain of 

 51.7 pounds in the six weeks. Pen 2. weighed 117 pounds making a gain 

 of 57.5 pounds. 



Disregarding the other feeding stuffs consumed the chickens ate, 

 per pound of gain, 2.8 pounds of wheat in Pen 1, and 2.77 pounds of corn 

 in Pen 2. 



These results being altogether inconclusive the feeding was kept up for 

 six weeks longer or until October 5th. In this additional time each pen 

 had eaten 10.75 pounds of oyster shells, 18 pounds of green bone. 102 

 pounds of cabbage, 42 pounds of turnip tops, besides their grain ration. 

 Pen 1, ate 190 pounds of wheat and Pen 2. 207.5 pounds of corn. Pen 1, 

 gained 72.5 pounds and Pen 2, 83 pounds. Again disregarding the other 

 parts of the ration we find that it required to produce a pound of gain 

 2.G2 pounds of w 7 heat in Pen 1, and 2.5 pounds of corn in Pen 2. 



There seems to be no great difference, therefore, in the feeding value 

 of these two cereals when so large a bulk of the ration is made up of 

 other materials. The gains made were satisfactory and again point to 

 the advantage, if not the necessity, of variety in the ration of growing 

 fowls. These chickens had to be limited in their range to small yards 

 in order that we might know just what they ate. The grit was supplied 

 to them in the form of the oyster shells and gravel. The ground bone 

 supplied them with a good deal of nitrogenous matter as w T ell as acting 

 as a grit. The vegetable food was absolutely necessary to properly regu- 

 late the bowels and to keep the chickens thrifty and healthy. With all 

 of these factors supplied in abundance, corn and wheat seem to be about 

 equal for the grain ration, a slight advantage resting on the side of the 

 corn. 



For the three weeks following October 5th the pens were fed alike. 

 The experiment was continued to see whether it would take more feed to 

 put on a pound of gain as the chickens grew heavier. In the three weeks 

 each pen had 2 pounds of oyster shell, 12 pounds of green bone, 30 pounds 

 of sunflow T er seeds and 42 pounds of turnip tops. Pen 1. had in addition 

 82 pounds of corn and 61 pounds of wheat; Pen 2, had 76 pounds of corn 

 and 62 pounds of wheat. Pen 1 weighed October 26. 195. S pounds, having 

 made n gain of 21.8 pounds in the three weeks. Pen 2. on the same 

 date, weighed 223.5 pounds showing a gain of 23.5 pounds in the 21 days. 

 Again disregarding the other factors of the ration we cannot fail to note 



