POULTRY RAISING CHICKENS 

 TABLE OF FEEDS 



291 



What It Takes to Make an Egg. An egg is about 74 percent water, 15 

 percent protein, 10 percent fat and 10 percent mineral matter. 



Plenty of Water. Since 74 percent of an egg is water, it is very neces- 

 sary to keep plenty of good, clean water before the hens at all times. Running 

 water is best but if this is not available, keep the water in vessels fresh. 



Antiseptic in Water. It is sometimes well to add enough permanganate 

 of potash to make it a wine red. This will act as an antiseptic in preventing 

 the transmission of disease through the water and will help keep down in- 

 testinal parasites. 



Keep Water Warm in Winter. In winter, as in summer, the first thing a 

 fowl does when it leaves the roost is to hunt the water pan, and nearly the 

 last thing before going on the roost is to drink. If the water is icy cold 

 they will not drink much, but if warm, they will drink plentifully. If the 

 weather is freezing, warm the water several times a day. 



Keep Water Clean. There are several ways of keeping the water clean. 

 One way is to punch three or four nail holes near the top of a syrup bucket 

 or tin can, fill the can or bucket with water and turn it upside down in a shallow 

 pan or saucer. The water oozes out no faster than the chickens drink it 

 and is always fresh and clean. (See illustration for other schemes for keeping 

 water clean). 



Protein. Protein is the most costly but the most valuable part of any 

 ration. It is that material in feed which goes to make nerve cells, brain mat- 

 ter, tendons, skin, feathers, claws, beaks, intestines, vital organs, and, when 

 combined with lime, bones and muscle. It is found in the animal feeds such 

 as : buttermilk or sour skim milk, beef scrap, ground bone, cut bone or wild 

 game, some legume such as clover or alfalfa leaves, insects and bugs during 

 the summer, offals from butchering. One need exclude no animal food from 

 the ration. Hens relish and make good use of all of them. Feed them raw, 

 when possible, unless they are from an infected animal. Better results are 

 obtained by using cheap fats like beef scrap than by feeding higher priced 



