PLYMOUTH ROCK STANDARD AND BREED BOOK 407 



It often happens that it is necessary to use the hens for 

 breeding that have been fed for egg production during the 

 winter. The vitality of these hens may have been somewhat 

 reduced by heavy laying. This condition must be met by 

 building up and maintaining the strength of the birds. To 

 do this the methods of management must be arranged and 

 foods selected so as to approach as closely as possible the meth- 

 ods and foods which Nature uses and supplies so successfully 

 later in the season. 



A Variety of Hard Grains. A variety of feed is very im- 

 portant, for it is useless to expect the fowls to obtain from any 

 one or two kinds the many different elements which are needed 

 to build up and strengthen the different parts of the body 

 and to produce the egg as well. A variety of the ordinary 

 grains, as for instance, corn, wheat, and oats, usually supplies 

 the needs as far as grain is concerned. 



The feeding of these grains also furnishes an opportunity 

 to compel hens which are in small quarters to take exercise 

 which they naturally get by ranging over the fields in warm 

 weather. The floor should always be covered with a litter of 

 straw, leaves, coarse hay, corn stalks or shavings, and all the 

 whole and cracked grain buried in this litter so that the fowls 

 will scratch vigorously to get it and, by exercising their 

 muscles, increase the flow of blood in their arteries and veins, 

 thus better nourish the different parts of the body. While 

 the fowls are exercising, the windows should be opened suffi- 

 ciently to allow them to breathe the pure air while at work. 

 In extremely cold weather, a very small opening is all that is 

 necessary to keep the air dry and pure. 



Ground Grains or Mashes. In addition to the hard grain, 

 which is fed as previously directed, a mash, either dry or 

 damp, is usually supplied. Dry mashes are fed in hoppers 

 or boxes which are open to the fowls all or part of the day. 

 Damp mashes are made by mixing the same ingredients which 

 make up the dry mashes with milk or water and are fed in 

 troughs once a day, usually. After each meal the troughs 

 are cleaned and removed. If damp mashes are allowed to 

 remain before the fowls very long, they become sour. When 

 in this condition mashes injure the digestive organs and at the 

 same time are likely to reduce the appetities of the fowls, and 

 a good appetite is very necessary to a healthy fowl. 



Animal Foods. In addition to the ground hard grains, 

 meat-foods and greens must be supplied. The most common 



