Feeding the Hen. 



50 



should eat oatmeal or other whole grain to provide the material for 

 teeth and bones. The hen knows by instinct what she needs, and in order 

 to cater to that instinct, when we cannot let the hen choose entirely, we 

 get the chemist to pick our grains and other foods apart so that we can 

 tell how to mix them and give the hen a good Winter imitation of her 

 Summer diet of worms, seeds and grass. For the hen must have mineral 

 matter to build her bones and shell her eggs. This "mineral matter" is 

 the part of the hen or her food which cannot be consumed by fire, but 

 which remains as ash. We must also remember that the hen cannot utilize 

 all the food she eats. More than half of its fertilizing value passes away 

 in the form of manure. We must give her food enough to provide for all. 



AMOUNTS IN TEN POUNDS OF EACH. ^^^^^^ 



Muscle-makers. Fat-formers. Pure fat. Min. Mat. 

 P. C. Ozs. P. C. Oz.s. P. C. Ozs. P. C. Ozs. 



Wheat bran 13. 19.3 39. 63.4 3.7 4.4 6.4 10.3 



Wheat 10. 16. 69. 110.4 1.7 3.7 1.8 3.8 



Corn 8. 13.8 67. 107.3 4.3 6.8 1.4 2.3 



Oats 9. 14.4 47. 59.3 4.3 6.7 3.9 4.6 



Rye 10. 16. 67. 107.3 1.1 1.7 1.9 3. 



Middlings 12.5 20. 53. 84.8 3.4 5.4 3.3 5.38 



Gluten meal 35. 40. 43. 68.8 11. 17.6 12. 19.3 



Meat meal 40. 64. 7.5 12. 10. 16. 38. 6. 



Beef scraps 50. 80. 5. 8. 21. 33.6 15. 24. 



Clover hay 7. 11.3 36. 57.6 1.7 3.7 62. 9.9 



Buckwheat 7.7 13.3 49. 78.4 1.8 3.8 3. 3.2 



Skimmed milk 3. 4.8 5. 8. 0.3 0.48 0.7 1.1 



Eggs 12. 19.3 10. 16. 14.5 23.3 



Cut bone 31. 33.6 33. 51. 22. 3.5 



Barley 9. 14.4 65. 104. 1.6 2.5 2.7 4.3 



Millet 9. 14.4 45. 72. 3.2 5.1 2.6 4.1 



Sorghum 7. 11.2 53. 83.3 3.1 4.9 1.5 3.4 



Sunflower seed 12. 19.2 21. 33.6 39. 46.4 3.6 4.1 



Linseed meal 28. 44.8 40. 64. 3.8 4.4 6. 9.6 



Peas 17. 37.3 53. 83.2 0.7 1.1 3.6 4.1 



WHAT IT MEANS. — It does not take us long to see why, when the 

 farmer added cut bone to the corn his hens laid more eggs. A dozen eggs 

 will weigh not far from 25 ounces, requiring three ounces of muscle 

 makers, and nearly four of mineral matter. Ten pounds of corn do not 

 provide half enough mineral matter for tlie dozen eggs, even if every bit 

 of the corn could be used and none passed as manure. The muscle makers 

 are also low in the corn, and when the hen provides for the growth of 

 body and feathers, animal heat and the fat necessary for comfort there is 



