218 PRACTICE OF POULTRY I^EDING 



course of the day. Follow the water containing epsoni salts with 

 a supply of fresh, pure water just before the birds go to the perch. 



The litter on the floor of the house should be kept deep, dry, 

 clean, and coarse to induce sufficient exercise. Some form of green 

 food should be fed with the above rations. Mangel beets, cabbage 

 or other available vegetables are good. In the absence of these 

 sprouted oats if properly handled can be used. The feeding of 

 steamed oats is coming into quite general use with excellent re- 

 sults. The practice is to scald about 8 quarts of oats in a ten-quart 

 pail for about two hours by pouring scalding hot Avater over them 

 and covering with a thick bag or piece of carpet. The oats will 

 swell up and fill the pail and the birds will eat them greedily. 

 Plenty of shell and grit must be kept before the layers. The former 

 is especially necessarj^, for without it soft shells will result and 

 lajdng flocks will drop down very materially in production if de- 

 prived of their supply of shell. The grit will be consumed in less 

 quantities but is very necessary when large flocks are confined to 

 the house for months during the winter with no chance to get access 

 to natural supplies of sand and grit out of doors. Give the layers all 

 the fresh water they require. Keep it clean and abundant. 



Cornell Rations. — The following rations for laying hens arc 

 recommended bj^ Cornell University. 



Laying Mash. 



Wheat bran 100 lbs. Ground oats or ground barley 100 lbs. 



Wheat middlings 100 lbs. Meat scrap 100 lbs. 



Corn meal 100 lbs. Salt 3 lbs. 



It is recommended that this mash be fed dry in hoppers. The 

 scratch grain recommended to be fed with the above mash is com- 

 posed f"f the following ingredients. 



Scratch Grain. 



Cracked corn .500 lbs. Wheat 200 lbs. 



Barley 200 lbs. Heavy oats 100 lbs. 



It is recommended that this mixture be fed by hand morning 

 and afternoon in deep litter. 



North Carolina Rations. — The following rations are recom- 

 mended by the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station : 

 Laying Mash. 



Wheat middUngs 35 lbs. Ground oats 35 lbs. 



Corn meal 30 lbs. 



To this basic mixture can be added either of the following: 

 20 pounds of meat scrap, or 18 pounds of digester tankage, or 14 

 pounds of dried blood, or 35 pounds of dried buttermilk. 



