ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



11 



have found after trying various feeds and rations that a simple ration made up 

 of only two or three kinds of grain is the most economical. One trouble usually 

 incident to forced feeding is feather pulling, vphich the author attributes to 

 too large a proportion of com meal, during hot weather. In such cases it 

 is advised to reduce the proportion of corn meal and add some green feed, such 

 as clover or alfalfa meal, and possibly a small amount of meat or blood meal. 

 Milk is used entirely in mixing the various rations, and is considered an essen- 

 tial ingredient. The methods used for mixing the feeds are noted, and two 

 types of mixing machines are described. The feed is mixed to the consistency 

 of thick cream, and the birds, after being brought gradually to full feed, are 

 fed all they will eat from 2 to 5 times a day at regular intervals. A bleached 

 appearance is very characteristic of milk-fed chickens, which is attributed prin- 

 cipally to the use of milk. For satisfying the demands for colored flesh butter 

 color or molasses has been used. Detailed descriptions are given of 5 feeding 

 stations and their equipment. 



In figuring the cost data of the extensive feeding tests the following prices 

 were used: Corn meal $27 per ton, low-grade wheat flour $27 per ton, oat flour 

 $44 per ton, tallow 8 cts. per pound, buttermilk 1.5 cts. per gallon, condensed 

 buttermilk 75 cts. per 100 lbs. The stock in experiment A was of mixed origin 

 just as they came in from the small buyers, without sorting. About 42 per cent 

 were Plymouth Rocks, 17 per cent Leghorns, 10 per cent consisted of several 

 other breeds, and 31 per cent were of mixed breeding. The stock used in the 

 other experiments were similar, but probably not so good. The birds in experi- 

 ment A were fed three times daily for from 6 to 10 days, the rations consisting 

 of 60 per cent corn meal and 40 per cent low-grade wheat flour mixed with 

 condensed buttermilk, diluted with 2 parts of water. In experiment B the birds 

 were fed twice daily from 6 to 15 days, rations consisting of 58 per cent corn 

 meal, 36 per cent oat flour, and 6 per cent tallow, by weight, mixed with 

 buttei'milk. 



The following table gives some of the results of these two experiments. : 



Summary of crate feeding experiments tvith poultry. 



1 Broilers. 



~ Roasters. 



In another feeding experiment 113,217 birds of a little lower quality than 

 those in experiments A and B were fed from 5 to 14 days grain rations similar 

 to those fed in experiment A with an addition of from 6 to 12 per cent shorts, 

 mixed with buttermilk. The average percentage of gain was 20.2, the highest 

 average gain, 34 per cent, being made by 2,139 birds fed 11 days, and the lowest 

 average, 11.4 per cent, by 17,277 birds fed 6 days. In another experiment in 

 which the rations varied only slightly from those in the experiment just re- 

 ported, 89,319 birds, fed from 6 to 16 days, made an average gain of 20.1 per 

 cent. The stock in this experiment was of poorer quality than that of any of 



