118 PROGRESSIVE POULTRY CULTURE 



The many kinds of food which, are relished by land 

 fowl make it possible to easily vary their rations suf- 

 ficiently to encourage ample eating. Gradual and rea- 

 sonable changes in their diet also tend sometimes to pre- 

 vent the overworking of one or more of the organs of 

 digestion. 



5. The feed-stuffs are usually best fed in their 

 natural state. Grinding, breaking and cutting are of 

 use when necessary to reduce the materials in size so 

 that they may be readily swallowed. 



Cooking the food seems to be undesirable except 

 in a few cases where it improves the flavor of the article 

 of diet or annihilates disease germs* that might possibly 

 be conveyed by the food to the fowl. 



Even the moistening of the food with water is ordi- 

 narily a disadvantage, although it may be allowable 

 in some cases where a saving in expense is secured. 

 Where flocks of hens are being urged to the largest 

 possible production of eggs for market in cold weather 

 they are sometimes fed with warm mashes made up 

 of wheat middlings, bran, corn meal, animal meal or 

 finely ground beef scraps and perhaps some clover meal 

 or alfalfa meal. If these feed-stuffs in finely ground 

 form furnish the necessary nutrients for a part of the 

 day's ration at a saving of cost for food, reduce some- 

 what the work of the overtaxed digestive system in 

 grinding, and enable the fowls to manufacture a larger 

 quantity of food into a finished market product than 

 they otherwise would, there is some reason in feeding 

 them once a day in moist, crumbly mashes. 



For growing chickens that are to become breeders 

 and for fowls that are breeding, the more natural method 

 of feeding grains whole, and other foods in dry, granu- 

 lated form seems desirable. The poultryman has here 

 opportunity for the exercise of good judgment according 

 to the accompanying conditions and the purpose in feed- 

 ing. 



6. The rations should be balanced so that there 

 will be supplied to the fowls daily, enough mineral con- 

 stituents, fatty nutrients and carbohydrates and cer- 



