190 Farm Poultry 



laid much better than those having the ground 

 grain, although neither lot laid at a profitable 

 rate during the second year. Leghorn hens having 

 a ration in which the grain was whole, consumed 

 on the average for two years over 20 per cent more 

 food for the same egg production than did similar 

 hens having half the grain in their ration ground and 

 moistened. The hens having whole grain had on 

 the average for two years 6.4 pounds of water-free 

 food for f every pound of eggs produced. Those 

 having ground grain had on the average for two 

 years 5.3 pounds of water-free food for every pound 

 of eggs produced." 



Poultrymen do not agree as to the time of day 

 when the soft food should be fed. Some hold that 

 such food should be given in the morning, for 'the 

 reason that the fowls have been on the perches 

 during the night and have largely digested the 

 food which was consumed the day before, and 

 consequently have comparatively empty crops and 

 digestive organs. In order that the morning meal 

 may be rapidly and easily digested they feed only 

 ground and moistened grain. They also hold that, 

 if the fowls are to be fed three times a day, whole 

 grain should be fed at noon and at night. Other 

 careful observers maintain that whole grain should 

 be given in the morning and that the ground food 

 should be given at noon. It is probably more impor- 

 tant to feed a part of the grain food in a ground 



