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The general method of feeding is to give a mash of mixed ground 

 grains, moistened with water or milk, in the morning ; a little whole 

 grain scattered in the straw covering the floor, at noon ; and all the 

 whole grain they will eat at night. This latter meal is usually fed in 

 the straw. Some poultrymen adopt the plan of not feeding the mash 

 until evening. We have been practising this plan for some time, and 

 we like it very well. The objection to the former plan is that the hen 

 is likely to become gorged with food early in the morning, and thus 

 take to the roost for the rest of the day, which is usually followed by 

 hens becoming too fat, and the egg record becoming small ; but not- 

 withstanding, many successful poultrymen use this method to advan- 

 tage. The objection to feeding the mash at night is that it becomes 

 quickly digested, and the bird has not sufficient food to last it during 

 the long \\nnter night ; but this objection can be overcome by giving 

 a little whole grain after the mash at night. 



Some poultrymen feed their fowls but twdce a day, morning and 

 evening, and get very good results ; but I favor feeding three times a 

 day. Our plan is somew^hat as follows : 



Early in the morning the fowds are given half a handful each of 



whole grain. This is buried in the litter on the floor. Thus the fowls 



get exercise (a very necessary thing) in searching for it and at the 



same time keep themselves warm. At noon about two handfuls of 



grain are given to a dozen hens in the litter; they are also given all 



the roots they will eat, either pulped or w^hole, as fowl relish mangels, 



sugar beets and turnips. Cabbage also— a very good green food — is 



sometimes given. About four o'clock in the afternoon they are fed a 



mash composed of equal parts of bran, shorts, oat-chop and corn-meal 



(during cold weather); and to this is added about 10 per cent, of 



animal meal, if we have not cut, green bone or cooked meat. These 



foods are thoroughly mixed together in the dry state, after which is 



added steeped clover, which has been prepared by getting a bucket of 



clover leaves, or cut clover hay, and scalding it with boiling water. 



This is done early in the morning, and the bucket is kept covered with 



a thick sack throughout the day. This will be quite warm at night, 



if it has been kept in a warm place. There is usually sufficient liquid 



to moisten the meal that has been mixed. Our aim is to have about 



one-third of the ration, in bulk, of clover. After the mash a small 



amount of whole grain is fed in the straw. There is — and should be 



— a plentiful supply of good, 'pure water within easy reach at all 



times. 



