312 THE RURAL EFFICIENCY GUIDE STOCK 



Mustard Bran. This is a by-product of the spice mills and if it can be 

 obtained is cheaper than ground mustard. There are two kinds of the bran 

 brown and yellow. The yellow is considered the best. Mustard bran is fed 

 in the mash, wet or dry. When dry it has no odor. Feed just enough bran to 

 flavor the mash, except in case of hens just over the molt that refuse to lay. 



Pullets should be given small doses of mustard about a month before it 

 is time for them to lay and the quantity increased as they approach laying 

 age. At this time begin feeding it to all stock and it will solve the fall and 

 winter egg problems. 



Animal and Green Feeds. Chickens are able to pick up a large amount 

 of insects, worms, and other low forms of animal life during the summer, but 

 in the winter months a substitute must be given them. For this purpose meat 

 scraps, such as offals from butchering, green cut bone, animal meal and beef 

 scraps are excellent. The same is true of green feeds. Chickens must have 

 the animal and green feeds in addition to the dry grain feeds to keep them 

 healthy. 



Silage. The secretary of the Wisconsin Poultry Association advises that 

 silage made from corn is being fed to poultry in that state with splendid 

 results. It is fine to make hens lay. The average run of silage is the best. 

 If there is too much grain in it, the hens become too fat to lay. There is no 

 question but silage is going to be used more largely in feeding poultry. 



Hay. Clover hay makes a fine feed for chickens. Prepare it as follows : 

 Cut it as short lengths as possible (y^ to }/2 inch) and place in a bucket. Pour 

 boiling water over it and allow it to stand two or three hours or over night. 

 When ready to feed, drain off the water and mix the hay with the mash. The 

 hay may make about one-half the bulk of the feed. The exact proportion is 

 immaterial. Any kind of hay is valuable but clover hay is best. Do not give 

 too much bulky feed. 



Table Scraps. In feeding table scraps, salt and acids of one kind or 

 another should be avoided as much as possible. The feeding of large quan- 

 tities of scraps is not very satisfactory, inasmuch as it has to be fed in a trough, 

 and when given to the birds they generally pick out the pieces and scatter 

 them all about the house in the litter, and it makes a more or less bad method 

 of feeding. They should be fed fairly dry ; that is, they should always be well 

 drained, so there will be no liquid matter in with the scraps. 



Birds cannot be kept on table scraps alone. This form of feed is a rough- 

 age and should be considered as nothing more than a variety or stimulating 

 feed given along with the regular rations of grain and mash. It acts as an 

 appetizer and is a valuable feed when given fresh. Moldy and sour feeds 

 should be guarded against. 



Corn Gluten. Corn gluten feed makes an excellent addition to the ration 

 and may be procured through almost any feed store. It is highly palatable and 

 may be fed to advantage in the dry mash with other feed, such as follows : One 

 hundred pounds of cornmeal, one hundred pounds of bran, one hundred pounds 

 of white middlings, one hundred pounds of corn gluten feed, one hundred pounds 

 of meat scrap, six pounds of charcoal, six pounds of salt. 



