220 



POULTRY BREEDING AND MANAGEMENT 



body. The maintenance of her body is her first concern. 

 The body of the hen, like that of other animals, needs con- 

 stant rebuilding. There is constant wearing or breaking 

 down of tissues, and the food rebuilds 

 the body or repairs its wastes. The 

 work of the poultryman, therefore, does 

 not end with the making of the hen, with 

 the hatching and rearing of the pullet: 

 he must maintain her, and the skill of 

 the feeder shows itself in so compound- 

 ing rations and so feeding them that the 

 health and vitality of the hen may be 

 maintained. That is the first considera- 

 tion of good feeding the maintenance 

 needs of the hen, the maintenance of 

 health and vigor. 



In feeding laying fowls, the second use 

 to which food is put by the hen is to 

 make eggs. After the body's needs have 

 been supplied, if there is any food left, 

 the hen will use it for the making of 

 eggs. Eggs are made from surplus food. 

 After she has eaten enough to supply 

 bodily needs she turns attention to the 

 egg basket. It is poor economy, there- 

 fore, if the purpose is egg production, to feed just 

 enough to maintain the hen. More must be fed or our ef- 

 forts will be wasted. 



If the purpose is meat production and a fattening or 

 fleshening ration is being fed, the purpose will be defeated 

 if only enough is fed to maintain the fowl. The profit in 

 feeding in both cases comes from the food consumed above 

 that necessary for maintenance. 



On the. other hand, heavy feeding does not necessarily 



T o h fVsh la fat e 

 and water in eggs, 



