Value of Corn as a Food 163 



that a clear corn ration, given to closely confined 

 Leghorn hens, has resulted in a marked decrease 

 in egg production and is sometimes accompanied 

 by feather pulling. Feather pulling usually in- 

 dicates a faulty ration. The fowls have a crav- 

 ing for something not supplied to them, and 

 resort to feather eating to obtain it. 



Experiments have clearly shown that food has 

 a great influence on the color of the yolk of the 

 egg. Corn will give deep yellow or highly 

 colored yolks. Clear corn arid water, the feeding 

 of which would be considered an extreme case, 

 will produce yolks which are objectionable to 

 many consumers on account of the extremely high 

 color. Fairly high-colored yolks are generally 

 preferred, and a moderate amount of corn in the 

 ration can be depended upon to produce the de- 

 sired color. 



The greatest economy in feeding fowls will 

 depend largely upon the ability of the feeder to 

 make the best use of corn. In supplying food 

 for domesticated fowls, it should be remembered 

 that three kinds of constituents should be pres- 

 ent, in tolerably well -fixed proportions, if the 

 desired results are to be obtained most economi- 

 cally. These constituents are mineral, nitroge- 

 nous and carbonaceous. Corn is deficient in both 

 mineral and nitrogenous matter. So, whenever 

 corn forms a considerable proportion of the daily 



