Poultry 439 



nutritive ratio of 1 : 4.2 gives good results. The natural 

 feed of poultry consists of seeds, insects, green forage, and grit 

 and to provide feeds similar to these, the chickens should be 

 given grains, mill-products, meat-meals, skim-milk, oyster 

 shells, green feed, and grit. The following mixtures are recom- 

 mended by the Poultry Department of Cornell University, 

 Ithaca, New York : 



GRAIN 



WINTER RATION 



Wheat 60 pounds 



Corn 60 pounds 



Oats 30 pounds 



Buckwheat 30 pounds 



SUMMER RATION 



Wheat . 60 pounds 



Corn f 60 pounds 



Oats ' . 30 pounds 



DRY MASH 



Corn meal 60 pounds 



Wheat middlings . 60 pounds 



Wheat bran 30 pounds 



Alfalfa meal 10 pounds 



Oil meal 10 pounds 



Beef scrap 50 pounds 



Salt 1 pound 



The hens should eat about half as much mash by weight as 

 whole grains. Good results are obtained by giving a light 

 feeding of grain in the morning and a larger one in the after- 

 noon. The grain is fed in straw spread on the floor of the pen 

 to induce the fowls to take exercise. The quantity should be 

 about what the fowls will clean up nicely. The mash is usually 

 fed dry in a hopper and is kept before the hens all the time so 

 they can help themselves at will. Succulent feed, also, should 

 be available for the hens. Beets, cabbage, sprouted oats, and 

 green clover are good for this purpose, when the fowls are kept 

 in yards. Hens on free range will forage for succulence. 



