186 Farm Poultry 



but the use of some sharper grit with it may be 

 of advantage."* 



Salt. A little salt is undoubtedly beneficial and 

 necessary, but it is poisonous if taken in large 

 quantities. Instances are frequently reported of 

 fowls being injured by eating salt. They are un- 

 doubtedly frequently misled in eating it, sup- 

 posing that they are eating grit. Rock-salt is par- 

 ticularly dangerous on this account. Some instances 

 have been known of fowls being poisoned by eat- 

 ing salt fish which had been carelessly thrown where 

 they could gain access to it. When fowls have a 

 wide range they eat grass, insects, and many other 

 things that furnish salt in some quantity. This may 

 explain why it is not necessary to feed salt under 

 these conditions. 



Experiments made at the New York Agricultural 

 Experiment Station showed that salt was not 

 injurious in quantities below .063 ounce per day 

 for each hen (that is, nearly one-half pint per day 

 for 100 hens). The following, taken from Bulletin 

 No. 39, gives results of the experiment: "The num- 

 ber of eggs laid during this trial is of no great signifi- 

 cance, as it was about the end of the laying sea- 

 son and the hens were old; but, inasmuch as the 

 yield of eggs was twice as great from the hens 

 having salt, while it was mixed with the food, it 

 would appear that not enough was fed to very 



*Bulletin No. 38, New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 



