1905.] DISCUSSION. 163 



Question. I would like to ask why a hen doesn't lay that 

 is fed on wheat, bran, corn, oats, wheat, and oyster shells ? 



Mr. Delano. I think you have asked me a poser. If you 

 will go on and describe their quarters, how they are kept, what 

 kind of hens, how old they are, how many lice they have, per- 

 haps I can tell better. 



Question. When they have a good airy house, and warm. 



Mr. Delano. It is a very hard thing to get eggs in the 

 off season from any flock of hens. 



Question. There is one mongrel that lays, a Rhode Island 

 Red ; she lays an egg every day, but none of the rest of them 

 ever think of it. 



Mr. Delano. Is that flock overfed? 



Question. I don't know as to that ; they are very well fed. 



Mr. Delano. Do you feed any animal food of any kind? 



Question. Some. 



Mr. Delano. How much? 



Question. Once in a while. 



Mr. Delano. Increase the ratio. The hens can't get many 

 worms now. 



Question. You spoke of hens being too fat. How much 

 do you feed them ? 



Mr. Delano. I want them to turn away from the food a 

 little hungry ; I don't mean half fed. 



Question. In the old country they often feed rye. What 

 is the objection to rye? 



Mr. Delano. I have been told ever since I was a young 

 man that rye was injurious to poultry. I have never fed it, 

 never experimented with it ; simply took it on hearsay evidence. 



Question. I would say in regard to rye that I have fussed 

 with poultry for several years. I was on a place once where a 

 good deal of rye was raised. I had been feeding wheat, but I 

 had the rye on hand and it was slow of sale, and I thought 

 perhaps I could make the rye take the place of the wheat, but 

 it seemed to be almost impossible for me to get the hens to eat 

 the rye, it was something they didn't seem to like. 



