CHAPTER XIV. 



PROFIT AND ECONOMY IN POULTRY FEEDING 



The object in feeding laying hens is to produce eggs 

 most economically and at the same time keep up the 

 health and vitality of the fowls. This means the selec- 

 tion of the cheapest feeds which will give good egg pro- 

 duction and does not necessarily mean the selection of the 

 highest producing ration if it consists of too high-priced 

 feeds. The method of feeding is also of material im- 

 portance as affecting the economical cost of producing 

 eggs and a method involving only moderate expenditure 

 of labor may prove a more profitable way of handling 

 laying hens than some other method which, although pro- 

 ducing more eggs, produces the extra eggs at too great a 

 cost. 



Frequent feeding of poultry as is done at the egg-lay- 

 ing competitions does undoubtedly increase production 

 but most poultrymen find that a simpler method of feed- 

 ing, involving less labor and producing fewer eggs is 

 more profitable for their conditions. Hens should be fed 

 at least twice daily which system works fairly well where 

 a dry mash is used. It may pay to feed hens three times 

 a day giving the green feed at noon, where the dry mash 

 system is followed. 



If the moist mash system of feeding is used it may 



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