44 AGRICULTURE. 



The amount of food required per day per hen varies according 

 to the size and somewhat with the season. A smaller hen will 

 eat more in proportion to live weight than a larger one. The 

 difference in amount of food consumed by larger and smaller 

 hens is less when laying than at other times when enough for 

 maintenance only need be eaten. 



A Coc' in or Brahma hen when laying requires from 4^ to 

 8 ounces of food per day, of which 3! ounces or more is dry 

 matter, A hen of Leghorn size when laying reciuires from 3I 

 to 6 ounces of total food, or 3 ounces of water-free food per day. 



A much larger amount of food in proportion to the live weight 

 is required by the chicks than by the older fowls. The amount 

 of water-free food required for every one hundred pounds live 

 weight fed is 10.6 lbs. at about one pound average weight; at 

 two pounds 7.5 lbs.; at three pounds 6.4 lbs.; at four pounds 

 5.5 lbs.; at five pounds 5.3 lbs.; at six pounds 4.9 lbs.; at seven 

 pounds 4.7 lbs.; at eight pounds 4 lbs.; at nine pounds 3.3 lbs.; 

 at ten pounds average live weight 3.2 lbs. The amounts of 

 fresh food equivalent to these weights would be correspondingly 

 greater. These are the amounts taken by growing fowls which 

 nonnally attain to the higher weights given, and which are still 

 immature and growing rapidly when at five and six pounds 

 average weight. 



For young chicks the nutritive ratio of the ration fed can be 

 somewhat narrower than those given for laying hens, and for 

 fattening the ration can have a very much wider ratio, although 

 only for short periods. 



For one hundred hens about 16 quarts of clean water per day 

 is required, especially in dry hot weather. In each dozen eggs 

 there is about a pint of water. 



A variety of food is essential. 



Young hens, especially of the better laying breeds, when in full 

 laying, can be freely fed all they will readily eat, but older hens 

 and the young ones when not laying should be fed only enough to 

 keep them eager for food. Salt should be fed mixed with the 

 food, but not large coarse crystals. One ounce of salt per day 

 for one hundred hens is a good proportion. 



Animal food and green or succulent vegetable food, as well 



