216 PRACTICE OF POULTRY FEEDING 



and have been continued without modification since that time. 

 The records made and the wonderful health of the flock, combined 

 with the economy of the rations as mixed and fed, have led to the 

 most general use of these methods by a great majoritj^ of poultry- 

 men and farmers throughout the country. At Vineland during the 

 year 1917-18, 540 Leghorns laid an average of 192 eggs per bird 

 during the 365 days of the contest. These rations are simple, 

 easy to mix, the ingredients are easily obtained, and the price is 

 generally reasonable. Only the whole grains, wheat, corn, and 

 oats, together with their by-products, have been used. The New 

 Jersey Laying Mash is made up as follows: 



Laying Mash. 



Wheat bran 100 lbs. 



Wheat middlings 100 lbs. 



Ground oats 100 lbs. 



Corn meal 100 lbs. 



Meat scrap 100 lbs. 



Total 500 lbs. 



or 20 per cent of each ingredient used. 



This drj^ mash should be kept before the birds all the time in 

 self-feeding hoppers, and plenty of hopper surface must be pro- 

 vided so that all the birds can get to the hoppers when they desire. 

 During the fall and winter or when feeding birds during heavy lay- 

 ing it is recommended that they be induced to eat additional mash 

 by feeding them a moist mash about noon time. This mash can be 

 the same one fed dry as outlined above; simply mix it to a crumbly 

 consistence with hot water or skim milk and feed in a trough, only 

 giving them what they will eat up quickly. 



This mash contains approximately 18 per cent of protein, and 

 has a nutritive ratio of 1 to 2.8. 



Supplementing this dry mash the layers should be given a 

 whole and cracked grain ration, to be fed at least twice a day, 

 morning and night, in deep litter. The following mixture is espe- 

 cially designed to supplement the above mash: 

 Laying Scratch. 

 100 pounds wheat 100 pounds heavy oats 



100 pounds cracked corn 



During the winter the above mash is changed by the addition of 

 another 100 pounds of cracked corn. This grain ration has a nu- 

 tritive ratio of 1 to 8.2. The amount of grain fed must be watched 

 carefully and changes made to conform to the breed kept, to the 

 season, to the changing weights of the birds, and to the production 

 which they are making. In regulating the diet the object should be 



