FUNDAMENTALS OF FEEDING 217 



bohydrates, fat and ash, with the difference that the car- 

 bohydrates have been converted into fat. The main differ- 

 ence between a bushel of wheat and a bushel of eggs is that 

 the eggs are more palatable and more nutritious. They are 

 also more valuable in the market. 



A study, therefore, of the composition of the finished 

 product gives us a clue as to what the raw material 

 should be. 



Composition of Eggs. Without the shells a dozen eggs 

 weighing l 1 /^ pounds, contained 13.57 ounces water, 2.32 

 ounces protein, 2.26 ounces fat and 0.22 ounces ash. A 

 pound of eggs is worth from 10 to 30 cents, depending upon 

 the season and markets ; a pound of wheat runs from 1 to 2 

 cents. When wheat is given to the hen it is converted by 

 a delicate process of manufacture into a form of food so 

 valuable that it is worth many times as much as it was in 

 the grain sack. More than that, the hen is thrifty; for 

 every pound of wheat she puts into eggs she puts a pound 

 of water, as will be seen later ; and she gets a good price for 

 the water. In selling eggs at 40 cents a dozen the poultry- 

 man is getting 25 cents a pound for the water in them. It 

 is more than the dishonest dairyman gets for the water he 

 puts into his milk. 



An average egg weighs two ounces: 10.81% of it is shell, 

 32.47% of it is yolk, and 56.42% of it is white. 



The yolk is composed of about 50% water, 15.5% protein, 

 33.4% fat and about 1% mineral matter. 



The white is composed of about 85% water, 12.1% pro- 

 tein, 0.23% fat and 0.34% mineral matter. 



Relation of Food Eaten to Eggs Laid. There is a close 

 relationship between the character of the raw material or 

 food and the finished product. The skill of the poultry- 

 man comes in in properly adjusting the ration to meet the 

 requirements of heavy production. The hen does not ad- 



