176 Farm Poultry 



poultrymen to feed a part of the daily grain 

 ration ground, and moistened with either milk or 

 .watei'. It is held to be more economical to do 

 a part of the grinding by steam or water power 

 than to require it all to be done within the body 

 of the fowl. In other words, water or some 

 other power is thought to be cheaper than the 

 muscular power of the laying hen. It is true 

 that the hen is required to take considerable ex- 

 ercise, but this* exercise does not materially aid 

 in grinding the food. V 



Some experiments have been made which tend 

 to show that there is considerable to be gained 

 in feeding ground or soft food. The following 

 is taken from an experiment station publica- 

 tion:* "Two pens of laying hens, one of a large 

 and the other of a small breed, having a ration 

 the grain of "which was whole, ate during their 

 second year somewhat more food at a little 

 greater cost than two similar pens having a 

 ration in which half the grain was ground arid 

 moistened. 



"Cochin hens having the whole grain ration 

 laid much better than those having the ground 

 grain, although neither lot laid at a profitable 

 rate during the second year. Leghorn hens 

 having a ration in which the grain was whole 

 consumed on the average for two years over 20 



* Bulletin No. 106, New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 



