262 POULTRY BREEDING AND MANAGEMENT 



tween three and four in the long days, whole wheat is fed 

 in the litter, as much as the fowls will clean up before 

 going to roost, and they must have as much as they will 

 eat, and no more. 



Beef Scrap is kept in a hopper all the time, care being 

 taken that the hopper never gets empty before being re- 

 filled. In addition, fresh cut bone is fed three times a week, 

 about an ounce per week per fowl. 



Oyster Shell, Charcoal and Grit are also kept in sep- 

 arate hoppers. 



Green Food is before the fowls all the time. It is usually 

 kale. They help themselves at will. A head of kale is hung 

 up fresh in the morning, and they pick at it whenever they 

 want it. This is supplemented at different seasons by vetch, 

 clover, and other green stuffs that grow in the yards. The 

 fowls are changed twice a year to clean ground and green 

 stuff is growing in the yard when the fowls are put into it. 



Cleanliness. It is important that feeding troughs and 

 drinking vessels be kept clean. They should be scalded 

 frequently with boiling water. Do not throw feed on dirty, 

 filthy ground. 



Changing the Ration. Radical changes in the ration 

 should be avoided. The feeder should first map out his 

 system of feeding and stay by it. Remember that the food 

 is not everything, and when the fowls are not laying do not 

 conclude that it is the fault of the ration unless you have 

 definite knowledge that it is. A sudden change to new 

 food, even though the new food may be better than the old, 

 will check egg production for a considerable time. If 

 changes are to be made, it is better to make them gradually. 



Regularity. Stated times should be given to the feed- 

 ing. A " feast and a starve" will not satisfy the laying 

 hen. During the winter the hen should go to roost with a 

 full supper to sustain her through the long night, and just 



