Ground Food 189 



tendency toward egg laying, a vigorous consti- 

 tution, and an abundance of suitable food, are 

 three prime essentials for profitable egg production. 

 Other things being equal, those fowls that are able 

 to digest and assimilate the largest quantities 

 of food will prove the most profitable. 



It is the practice of some successful poultry- 

 men to feed a part of the daily grain ration ground, 

 and moistened with either milk or water. It is 

 held to be more economical to do a part of the 

 grinding by steam or water power than to require it all 

 to be done within the body of the fowl. In other words, 

 water or some other power is thought to be cheaper 

 than the muscular power of the laying hen. It 

 is true that the hen is required to take considerable 

 exercise, but this exercise does not materially aid 

 in grinding the food. 



Some experiments have been made which tend 

 to show that there is considerable to be gained 

 in feeding ground or soft food. The following 

 is taken from an experiment station publication:* 

 "Two pens of laying hens, one of a large and the 

 other of a small breed, having a ration the grain 

 of which was whole, ate during their second year 

 somewhat more food at a little greater cost than 

 two similar pens having a ration in which half 

 the grain was ground and moistened. 



" Cochin hens having the whole grain ration 



*Bulletin No. 106, New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 



