Value of Corn as Food 177 



amount of corn in the ration can be depended 

 upon to produce the desired color. 



The greatest economy in feeding fowls will 

 depend largely upon the ability of the feeder to 

 make the best use of corn. In supplying food for 

 domesticated fowls, it should be remembered that 

 three kinds of constituents should be present, in 

 tolerably well-fixed proportions, if the desired 

 results are to be obtained most economically. These 

 constituents are mineral, nitrogenous and carbon- 

 aceous. Corn is deficient in both mineral and 

 nitrogenous matter. So, whenever corn forms a con- 

 siderable proportion of the daily ration, these 

 deficiencies should be supplied in some acceptable 

 form. Animal meal, cut bone, animal charcoal 

 and bone ash are all used for this purpose. 



Wheat. Wheat is preferred to corn by many 

 because it is not quite so fattening, and is, there- 

 fore, a somewhat safer food in the hands of the 

 unskilled feeder. On account of the low price of 

 wheat in recent years, it is becoming a very com- 

 mon poultry food. Wheat, when fed alone, pro- 

 duces eggs having much lighter-colored yolks than 

 are produced by a corn ration. Wheat alone has 

 somewhat too wide a nutritive ratio for best results. 

 This grain should be supplemented by some meat 

 food or skimmed milk in order that the proportion 

 of protein may be materially increased. Wheat 

 should not form all of the grain ration of laying 



