38 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



nearly balance even such inferior grain as rye ; 

 but it is too expensive for a whole feed, or to be 

 used very largely in this form. 



We need not give further tables for our 

 purpose, which is not to give a number of 

 definite dietaries, but rather to show how a 

 proper dietary is constructed. We have used as 

 albuminoid correctives pea-meal or malt culms, 

 horse-flesh, bran, and rich seed ; and have 

 dealt in turn with such starchy foods as maize, 

 potatoes, and rye ; such examples will amply 

 answer all purposes of illustration. 



Green food has not been taken into account 

 in the above. Grass or hay have themselves a 

 ratio of about i : 6 and 1:5^; and 

 Greea Food : eaten as supplementary to solid food. 

 Clover. this need not trouble us. Cabbage 



has a high ratio, but is seldom given 

 in proportion enough for its really solid com- 

 ponents to disturb matters appreciably. Clover 

 may be mentioned as exceptional. With an 

 actual albuminoid component nearly equal to 

 dry rice, its own ratio is so high as 1:3. Hence 

 it is of actual value as an albuminoid corrective, 

 and in America is given largely as such to the 

 laying stock ; even in winter clover hay being 

 cut and steeped in hot water over night, to mix 

 with the mash breakfast of the laying stock in 

 the morning. Dried clover is also ground into 

 meal, to be mixed in the same way. 



This brings us finally to two questions, the 

 first of which is whether the ratio of albuminoids 

 we have been considering, is really 

 Special sufficient for all purposes. To main- 



Dietaries, tain the health and condition of the 

 fowl, as a fowl, we may be sure that 

 it is. But there are three exceptional conditions 

 also to be considered, and the question arises, 

 what special allowance these may require, and 

 how such are to be dealt with. 



{a) Let us consider the young and growing 

 bird. Here we have, besides maintenance and 

 work in exercise, to make tissue at a great rate. 

 It would certainly seem that, for the best 

 results so far as mere growth is concerned, 

 more albuminoids must be required, as the 

 ratio of milk itself, and the composition of the 

 egg itself, plainly teach us. All experience 

 proves that this is so. We give this in the 

 shape of skim milk, or meat, or cut bone, or 

 malt dust, or pea-meal if the birds will eat it ; 

 but pea-meal seems to suit them less than 

 the others. In this way we easily enrich our 

 other food to the needs of a gmving dietary. 

 {b) Or we have to fatten and prepare birds 

 for the table. Here also practical experience 

 vindicates theory, as any true theory always 

 will be vindicated. The Sussex fatter takes as 



his basis the ground oats, which, as we have 

 seen, themselves give rather a high ratio, but 

 adds thereto skim milk, and suet or some other 

 form of fat. The skim milk gives him albumen 

 in the higher ratio of 1:2, in the most easily 

 digested form of all ; and the fat similarly 

 assists in what he desires. This dietary also, 

 then, differs from the normal ratio, exactly as 

 we should e.xpect. 



(f) Thirdly, we have to consider laying hens. 

 A little consideration must show us that for 

 birds in active laying, a i : 5 ratio 

 Diet for cannot be sufficient. In a fair-sized 



Laying Hens, ggg^ we have two ounces daily to be 

 produced, in addition to the hen's 

 own needs for life and health. Of this more 

 than half is water ; but, there being waste in 

 vital processes, we ought to reckon that an 

 ounce in solids is the daily requirement, and 

 this is nearly all composed of mineral salts, 

 albuminoids, and fat. This supply, in some 

 cases, the fowl may be able to pick up herself, 

 and we have already commented upon the 

 craving for immense worms, otherwise refused ; 

 thus Nature herself teaches us that animal food 

 is the best means of supplying the need. Where 

 there is not wide range we must supply this ; 

 and since meat is itself three-fourths water, it 

 follows that a layer only given bare living ration, 

 " balanced " as above, should have nearly two 

 ounces daily of cut bone or fairly fat meat, to 

 maintain a constant egg-supply. Cut bone is 

 in many respects best, as supplying much more 

 of both fat and earthy salts for the shell, in 

 proportion. 



Such a proportion will seem large, and the 

 conclusion startling ; but it is supported by facts. 

 There are, however, heavy qualifications to be 

 made. Every fowl is given much more than a 

 mere subsistence ration of ordinary "balanced" 

 diet ; then the albumen and fat of the surplus 

 will go to eggs, and even part of the carbo- 

 hydrates will be decomposed to form fatty egg- 

 material ; and so a fair Q<g^ supply may be 

 maintained. The necessary extra supply of 

 albuminoids for a more constant production will 

 thus be reduced by a great deal, perhaps by half, 

 less or more. But the extra supply, be it what 

 it may, must be supplied if we are to have the 

 extra result. Americans have for years been far 

 beyond us in this matter of egg-productioa 

 Many of them, while we have been talking about 

 it, have actually attained egg-averages ranging 

 from 170 to as high as 190 per annum from 

 considerable flocks, and still more from small 

 numbers. These farmers have proved by ex- 

 perience that such an egg-yield as this, while 

 it has to be " bred " for in the first nlace, must 



