Feeding and Housing Leghorns for Profit 



Best Methods aud Rati 



ins for Growing Chicks from Shell to Maturity, for Laying and 

 Breeding Stock. Honsing and Yards. 



IN THE October and Xovember, 1910, issues of Amer- 

 ican Poultry World a most valuable and interesting 

 White Leghorn breeder's symposium appeared, in 

 which many of the practical details of breeding White 

 Leghorns for market were discussed by experienced 

 breeders of White Leghorns. 



Among these, the most important were those of feeds 

 and the methods of feeding and housing. 



The answers to this symposium were received from: 

 H. F. Humphrey, New York; J. Courtney Punderford, 

 Monmouth Poultry Farm, New Jersey; Huber Bros., Wis- 

 consin; Sands & Beilman Poultry Farm, Pennsylvania; N. 

 V. Fogg, Kentucky; F. W. Christie, Wayne Poultry Farm, 

 New York; A. M. Pollard, Grandview Poultry Farm, Con- 

 necticut; H. F. Meister, Missouri; John H. Piper, Ohio; 

 R. J. Elliott, Elliott Poultry Farm, Ohio; Geo. B. Ferris, 

 Michigan; Harlo J. Fiske, New York; J. LeRoy Cunning- 

 ham, Pennsylvania; Frank Neville, Michigan; S. B. and E. 

 W. Twining, Pennsylvania; C. M. Walker, Virginia; F. S. 

 Nicholson, New York; G. L. Wheeler, New York; W. R. 

 Sperry. Christy Poultry Farm, New York; Turley & Sco- 

 bee. Kentucky. 



First — State in detail the best ration and methods for 

 growing White Leghorn chicks from shell to maturity. 



"Whole grain mixture morning and evening 400 lbs. 

 wheat, 200 lbs. oats, 100 lbs. corn. Dry mash in hoppers, 

 100 lbs. middlings, SO lbs. bran, 50 lbs. ground oats. Beef 

 scrap in hoppers." Frank Neville. 



"Morning of third day feed dry wheat bran, keep 

 same always before them after the third day. When one 

 week old feed good quality commercial chick food in 

 litter with plenty of green stufif and a feed of fine ground 

 fresh beef once or twice a week after the second week. 

 Keep all water vessels clean with fresh water always be- 

 fore them after the first feed. After eight weeks feed same 

 as laying stock." Huber Bros. 



"When twenty-four to thirty-six hours old feed with 

 johnny cake made with excelsior meal. Feed this for two 

 days about six times a day, then alternate feedings with 



Feeding Time at Pine Park Poultry Fiirm, 



a good commercial chick food. Our method of preparing 

 excelsior meal is 20 lbs. corn meal, 15 lbs. ground oat^, 

 10 lbs. ground barley, 10 lbs. wheat bran. At five days 

 keep dry mash before them all the time, excelsior meal 

 with 5 per cent beef scrap added. Plenty of green stuff, 

 grit and fresh water all the time. At six weeks we use 

 larger grain ration and change mash mix. Grain mix at 

 this time is 60 per cent wheat, IS per cent cracked corn, 

 10 per cent hulled oats, 15 per cent kaffir corn. Mash mix 

 is 35 per cent wheat middlings, 30 per cent wheat bran, 

 IS per cent ground oats, 20 per cent corn meal, add one- 

 tenth of bulk of good beef scrap, also can add one-fourth 

 bulk shredded alfalfa in case of shortage of green stuff. 

 It is easy matter to sprout oats which are good for early 

 chicks, later chicks should have grass runs. We prefer 

 raising all chicks in brooders. Keep everything clean, 

 disinfect occasionally." Sands & Beilman Poultry Farm. 

 "The first feed is grit, then I start in with a prepared 

 chick food which I continue until they are about three 

 weeks old, when T mix in some fine cracked corn and 

 wheat, .^fter they are old enough to leave the brooders 

 I put them in colony houses and give them free ran^'e 

 and feed them twice a day, whole wheat and cracked 

 corn with some whole oats." H. F. Meister. 



"Start with some good chick food and bran always 

 before them. As soon as possible put them on cracked 

 corn (fine) and cracked wheat. When on free range feed 

 regular cracked corn and whole wheat and a balanced 

 dry mash. Plenty of fresh water and clean colonies and 

 entirely free range will produce the best of youngsters." 

 J. C. Punderford. 



"First ten days, (wheat bran, dry) fine ground wheat 

 and corn, broken rice and a little millet. From ten days 

 on, cracked corn and wheat, 2-3 corn, 1-3 wheat for grain; 

 mash of 3 parts bran, 1 each of ground wheat and corn. 

 Green bone three times a week." J. LeRoy Cunningham. 

 "Cracked oats at first. Bran and meal always before 

 them after one week, commercial chick food taking place 

 of oat meal. Then to wheat aud cracked corn. Beef scrap 

 fed occasionally. Pure water always. Free range if pos- 

 sible." C. M. Walker. 



"Do not feed for forty-eight hours, then a good chick 



food until eight weeks old. After that equal parts good, 



clean, white cracked corn, white wheat, and oats until four 



months. After that plenty of beef 



scraps." Harlo J. Fiske. 



"Commercial chick food first week, 

 then wheat, hulled oats and a mash of 

 equal parts bran, corn meal and mid- 

 dlings. Good grass range and plenty 

 of clean, fresh water." S. B. & E. W. 

 Twining. 



"We feed a prepared food from the 

 shell, with beef scraps, oyster shell 

 und grit. Plenty of green food after 

 they are ten days old." Turley & 

 Scobee. 



"Corn, oats and wheat in some 

 form. Animal and vegetable foods. 

 Both wet and dry mashes and John- 

 ny cake. We have come to the con- 

 clusion that many people do not feed 

 variety enough. We find that animal 

 and vegetable foods are as essential 

 for rapid growth as are the grains. 

 The more they will eat of the proper 

 kinds of food, the faster they will 

 L;row." W. R. Sperry. 



"First, good vigorous breeding 

 >tock; second, well hatched chicks; 

 third, a good chick food for first two 

 months, a good dry floor with plenty 

 of nice clean fine litter to scratch in, 

 a careful feeder who will give enough, 

 Init will not overfeed and will keep 

 them busy. A grass run is an advan- 



134 



