1908.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 59 



tion of the difference in relative importance of wheat and corn 

 in the rations of fowls with high and with low fat content. The 

 body temperature of the domestic fowl is much higher than that 

 of the larger domestic animals. To maintain this higher tem- 

 perature, the oxidation in the body of relatively large quantities 

 of heat producers must be essential. Among food heat-pro- 

 ducers fat possesses not only the highest unit value, but is low- 

 est in cost in proportion to value. It seems wise, therefore, in 

 feeding fowls to introduce this nutrient into the ration as largely 

 as is consistent with health. Beef scraps which have been care- 

 fully prepared, so that they are free from all bad odors or 

 rancidit} 7 , and which contain a fairly large proportion of fat 

 should be freely fed to laying fowls. They may not only with 

 safety, but with positive advantage, be kept before such fowls 

 all the time ; and if such scraps are so fed, then corn may safely 

 be the principal grain used. 



3. The domestic fowl has little or no ability to digest fiber. 

 Our experiments have shown that a large proportion of fiber in 

 the ration is unfavorable to egg production, other things being 

 equal. The practice, therefore, of using such grains as oats, 

 barley or buckwheat largely in the rations of laying fowls would 

 seem to be unwise. Here again it may possibly in some cases 

 be an advantage to use these grains in small amounts occasion- 

 ally, for the sake of variety. The writer, however, is not a 

 believer in this practice. He is able to obtain exceedingly 

 satisfactory egg product while depending almost wholly upon 

 corn, cracked or whole, as a grain ration, in connection with 

 a mash including bran or middlings, linseed meal, corn meal 

 and beef scraps. 



