8o THE BEGINNER IN POULTRY 



will bring also the most profit. This by no means al- 

 ways follows. We have to consider not only whether 

 or not this feed can carry the fowls forward in the most 

 rugged health, but also whether or not it is the feed 

 which will produce a given number of eggs at the least 

 cost. All feeds are made up largely of muscle-makers, 

 energy-makers, and pure fats, in varying proportions. 

 It is also true of nearly all foods that it is the muscle- 

 making portion, passing by the name of proteids, or 

 protein (sometimes called nitrogenous feeds), that costs 

 most money, weight for weight. The amount of protein 

 in a feed needs to be considered, always, in rating it as 

 high or low in price, in connection with the actual 

 money to be paid for it. That feed at two dollars a 

 hundred which contains 20 per cent of protein is a 

 much cheaper food than another at the same price which 

 contains only 10 per cent. We may often see this illus- 

 trated in the prices of brans and buckwheat middlings. 

 I suppose we might be astounded, were we to study 

 into the matter, to find how much of our table and 

 household supplies are made from the wastes of other 

 manufactures ! Certainly, this is even more true of our 

 stock feeds. Most of them are by-products. Yet, it is 

 often said that we use the poorer portions of the grains 

 on our own tables and give the best to the domestic 

 animals. The wheat middlings which we relegate to 

 the farmyard stock is 15.6 protein (an average of 32 

 samples), while spring wheat patent roller process 

 " family and straight grade " flour averages less than 

 1 1 per cent ; not to mention that we have taken out, 

 also, much of the salts so essential to perfect health. 

 In feeding fowls and chicks, any small plot of ground 



