562 Report of the Department op Animal Husbandry of the 



GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. 



While opinions have differed somewhat among poultrymen in 

 regard to the manner of feeding and form of grain to be used, 

 the different grain foods have almost necessarily, as a rule, con- 

 stituted much the greater portion of all rations. In common 

 practice there is a considerable saving of time and labor by feed- 

 ing whole grain; and when it is necessary to insure exercise, as 

 with laying hens and breeding stock, whole grain can be fed to 

 good advantage. But by-products, much cheaper than whole 

 grain, and, if desired, much more nitrogenous, are usually avail- 

 able for part of the ground grain rations. If the food consists 

 largely of the whole grains which can ordinarily be obtained, it 

 is not possible to secure a ration as nitrogencus as is by many 

 considered essential. 



As generally found, then, rations in which whole grains largely 

 predominate will, unless special effort is made to prevent, have 

 wider nutritive ratios than rations containing much ground grain. 

 The difference is more pronounced whenever certain by-products 

 are used and animal meal mixed with the ground grain. 



So in general practice a change from '* whole grain " to " ground 

 grain " or vice versa, involves also considerable change in chem- 

 ical composition of the food. 



RATIONS FED. 



In the feeding experiments here recorded only ordinary foods 

 were used and such foods omitted as would make a pronounced 

 difference in the chemical composition of the rations. There 

 were, however, some of the usual differences in composition, al- 

 though in much less degree than ordinarily occurs. An attempt 

 to avoid any difference would have prevented the use of many 

 common foods and this was not desired. 



STOCK USED. 



Two lots of chicks were fed for three months during the sum- 

 mer and four lots of capons for about seven months during the fall 

 and winter. The two lots of chicks were hatched in incubators 



