FEEDING METHODS OF POULTRY IN KANSAS. 2o 



to be highly commended, since it prevents the accumulation of drop- 

 pings on the floor, and also makes it easy to remove them. 



No special attention was given to supplying the fowls with a liberal 

 amount of fresh air, but because the majority of the houses are of 

 crude construction, and also by means of small windows, doors, and 

 numerous cracks and openings the fowls suffered little from the lack 

 of ventilation. In relation to the amount of door space }>er bird, it 

 is a common occurrence to find from 75 to 100 fowls housed in a build- 

 ing of such dimensions that it allows each fowl only about 1 square 

 foot of floor space, and it was easy to find cases where even less space 

 than this was provided. However, where the fowls are allowed free 

 range on all suitable days, and the house is cleaned at frequent inter- 

 vals, the question of a definite amount of floor space per bird is not 

 very important. 



The farmer of the Middle "West seldom, if ever, confines his poultry 

 in yards, and there is no doubt that this has been a most important 

 factor in maintaining the vigor and health of the fowls so admirably. 

 The condition of the farm flocks in respect to these two qualities is 

 well shown bv the following figures from the 9:2 farms: 



TABLK 5. Ilcaltli nntl ri</or of poullnj flock* on !>,> Kaunas farms. 



FKEDINO MKTHODS. 



During the spring, summer, and fall the fowls are compelled to 

 forage for the greater part of their living. Even during the winter 

 months they are fortunate if they receive more than one feed a day. 

 Consequently they are compelled to pick up a considerable portion 

 of their living around the barn and eorncrib. This condition has 

 arisen from the practice of giving the poultry free access to the feed 

 lots for beef cattle and hogs. In feeding the steers and hogs the corn 

 is often dumped in piles about the feed lot. thus making it possible 

 for the fowls to procure a liberal feed of corn at least once a day. 

 At thrashing time also there is considerable waste grain which would 

 be a total loss if not utilized by the poultry. The fields of alfalfa 

 make an ideal range and furnish abundant green feed. It is quite 

 common to see the alfalfa stack in close proximity to the barn and 

 other outbuildings, and in this case the fowls have green feed close at 

 hand. 



