Grit and Lime 185 



unlimited supply of pounded glass has been attended 

 with no bad result when the food and other grit 

 available to the fowls contained an abundance of 

 lime, but, when the food was deficient in lime and 

 no other grit was attainable, hens ate an injuriously 

 large amount of glass."* 



Lime. Many experiments and also chemical 

 analyses of foods and of eggs show that there is 

 not sufficient lime consumed by the fowls, in ordi- 

 nary poultry foods, to form the shells of eggs pro- 

 duced by laying hens, particularly when they 

 are producing eggs most abundantly. It is there- 

 fore necessary to supply lime, in some form, to 

 laying hens. Crushed oyster shells are recom- 

 mended for this purpose. It is found to be sat- 

 isfactory to place the crushed shells before the 

 fowls in such a manner that they may eat the 

 amount needed, and it is usually safe to rely on 

 the judgment of the fowls in this respect. Some 

 poultrymen, however, mix crushed oyster shells 

 with the soft food in addition to the supply which 

 should be kept before them all the time. "The 

 feeding of oyster shells during the laying sea- 

 son, when they can be cheaply obtained, is recom- 

 mended. One pound will contain lime enough 

 for the shells of about seven dozen of eggs. Fine 

 gravel containing limestone will probably as well 

 supply the deficiency of lime existing in most foods, 



"Bulletin No. 38, New York Agricultural Experiment Statipn, 



