THE FEEDING PROBLEM 43 



and egg farmer, who has been feeding beans for sometime very 

 successfully, and I copy his letter for the benefit especially of those 

 residing in bean-growing districts, where beans can be often bought 

 very cheaply. The writer can be thoroughly relied upon as to 

 accuracy. 



"Your cordial letter reached us today, and I take pleasure in 

 answering your questions concerning our use of beans for hens. 



"The variety we used and are still using is what is called here 

 the black-eyed bean. I think it is called 'cow peas' in some parts of 

 the country. The flavor of this bean is more like that of the pea 

 than of the bean. For a long time we fed them whole, with corn, 

 wheat and whole barley, equal parts of each. The hens ate them 

 as readily as they did the other grains, except wheat. 



"We fed it also in the mash, with ground barley, cornmeal and 

 beans, about equal parts of each. We found that our hens increased 

 their egg productoin about twenty per cent. 



These beans are rich in protein, about 22%, and are about 85% 

 digestible, so you will see that fed with wheat, corn and barley 

 they are a valuable addition to the dietary of hens. If we could 

 get these beans, we should continue their use, but we are unable 

 to get any more of them. If you know where they can be had for a 

 reasonable price, we should be pleased to have you inform us. 

 I have no doubt that hens could be induced to eat lima beans, at 

 least in the mash, as you know lima beans are rich in protein, but 

 possibly may not be as digestible as the black-eye. I hope this 

 information may be of use to you." 



In this article we give the scientific side, the analysis of three 

 kind of beans, and also the practical use of them by three different 

 poultry breeders. This will answer several other inquiries on the 

 subject, and we hope prove 'useful to many of our readers. 



Buff Orpington 



