CORN AND ITS BY-PRODUCTS 



185 



usually available are oyster shells, limestone grit, and dry ground 

 bone. Their composition is shown in Table VI. 



Phosphate. — Less than four per cent of the body of the adult 

 bird is mineral matter, consisting almost entirely of phosphate 

 of lime, and the use of phosphate has been found to be especially 

 profitable and practical in rations for growing chicks. Bone ash is 

 Bupplied in the form of granulated bone, bone meal, or cut bone. 



Organic Feeds. — The feeds grouped under this heading are: 

 (1) Grains and their by-products, which are termed concentrated 

 feeds, and (2) grasses, hay, and straw, which are called roughage. 

 Concentrates take their name from the fact that high nutrient 

 content is represented in small bulk; and roughage from the fact 

 that a larger amount of fibre or cellulose is present, and a larger 

 bulk represents only a small nutrient content. 



The leading grains must be relied upon mainly for poultry. 

 The different organic feeds naturally group themselves into the 

 following divisions: Grains and their by-products, animal feeds, 

 hays, grasses, and vegetables. As the by-products are closely 

 associated with the grains from which they are derived, these two 

 groups will be discussed together. 



Com and its by-products are the principal sources of feed for 

 poultry, the great value of this grain Ij'ing in its available energy, 

 due to its high percentage of easily digested carbohydrates and 

 fat and the absence of all poisonous substances. 



There are three races of com which are available in different 

 sections for poultry feeding. These are designated by the terms 

 dent, flint, and sweet. Dent and flint corns are practically the 

 same in chemical composition. The flint variety is usually found 

 in the cool climates, along the northern border of the corn belt, 

 being extensively raised in New England. Dent corn flourishes 

 where the higher temperatures prevail. In palatability and usage 

 dent and flint corn are oractically the same. Corn, being largely 

 starch and oil, is essentially a feed designed to produce heat. 



