POULTRY FEEDS AND FEEDING 



must decide for himself as to whether his operations and 

 conditions are such that it is more economical to purchase 

 separate feeds or to mix his own rations. 



There are various poultry feeds put on the market 

 which in general come under the following heads : Chick 

 feed and chick mash, which are fed to newly hatched 

 chicks until they are 8 or 10 weeks old; growing scratch 

 feeds and growing mashes, to be fed after the chick feeds 

 are discontinued and until the cockerels are marketed and 

 the pullets are put in their laying quarters; and laying 

 mashes and scratch feeds, which are fed to both pullets 

 and hens. Most of the states have quite strict feed laws 

 now, whereby the state experiment station or some 

 designated official has charge of the feed inspection for 

 the state and information as to whether any brand or 

 make of commercial feed corresponds to the analysis can 

 be secured from the experiment station. 



EFFECT OF FEED ON QUALITY OF EGGS 



Feeding affects the quality of the eggs within rather 

 broad limits but a considerable variation of ration can 

 be used without a noticeable effect on quality, as long as 

 the feeds are in good condition. Fowls fed a well-bal- 

 anced ration are able to convert these feeds into high 

 quality eggs and the variation within reasonable limits 

 does not affect either the quality, composition or the size 

 of the egg. If abnormal rations are fed they may and 

 often do affect the eggs, producing either poorer quality 

 eggs or affecting the size, making smaller eggs. Fowls 



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