POULTRY FEEDS AND FEEDING 



it may be hastened by giving a light feed of moist mash 

 daily in addition to the dry mash kept in the open hopper. 

 Feeding freely of scratch grains to the pullets during 

 the fall helps to bring egg production up gradually rather 

 than securing a very rapid increase of egg production 

 in the early fall when the pullets are not fully enough 

 developed or in good enough flesh to keep up this pro- 

 duction throughout the winter, thereby often resulting 

 in a material slump in production in the middle of the 

 winter. Always feed very lightly of scratch feeds in 

 the morning. 



During the spring months when egg production is 

 highest the fowls will usually eat the dry mash very 

 freely and at that time they should consume equal parts 

 mash and scratch grains. About July or when the egg 

 production begins to drop off and the moulting period 

 approaches, the fowls are inclined to eat very much less 

 mash and it is often very helpful at this season of the 

 year to give a light feed of moist mash in addition to the 

 dry mash. Hens which are inclined to get over-fat like 

 the Brahmas, Orpingtons and large-framed Plymouth 

 Rocks may be kept in good condition by feeding a dry 

 mash containing 5 per cent less meat scrap than is recom- 

 mended for general use and only feeding the same weight 

 of scratch grains as they eat of the mash. 



It is also advisable to feed the scratch grains for these 

 fowls in a deep litter and to make the hens scratch for 

 their feed. Some poultrymen who keep these heavier 

 breeds shut up the dry mash hoppers during part of the 



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