192 POULTRY FEEDS 



extensively will find it more profitable to market this material 

 and purchase other feeds for poultry purposes. Sprouted rye is 

 very palatable, and birds do well on it. The main by-products 

 of rye are rye bran and distiller's grains, but, owing to limited 

 supply, they are very seldom used. 



Rice. Whole or crushed rice is used to some extent, the crushed 

 product being used in the feeding of chicks and pigeons. Usually 

 the grades of rice which become available for poultry feeding are 

 in limited amounts and the supply is uncertain, so that they can- 

 not be considered as a constantly available poultry feed. 



Flax seed and cotton seed do not enter into any class of poul- 

 try feeds except through their by-products, viz., linseed meal and 

 cottonseed meal. The former consists of ground flax seed from 

 which the oil has been extracted. In the " old process " the oil 

 is extracted by pressure only; in the " new process " a much 

 greater percentage of the oil is removed by pressure and the use 

 of gasoline or other solvents. The old process meal is more de- 

 sirable for feeding purposes, especially during the molting season, 

 as it hastens the growth of the new feathers. These meals when 

 used are usually mixed with the dry mash. Cottonseed meal is 

 not so generally used for poultry feeding, as it is supposed to have 

 certain toxic or poisonous properties which may prove detrimental 

 to the best results, and when used is fed in small quantities. 



Sorghum seed, when it can be obtained, makes a very satis- 

 factory variation in the compounding of grain rations. It is very 

 similar to corn in composition, the kernel itself being much smaller 

 than wheat and very smooth. 



Broom corn, kafir, and milo maize, when obtainable at reason- 

 able prices, may be used with beneficial results. Their production, 

 however, is very limited both in area and distribution. With the 

 large number of grains more extensively produced it is doubtful 

 if the above will ever assume a prominent role in grain rations 

 for poultry, except in the dryer parts of the country. 



Millet seed is relished by poultry. Its high cost prohibits the 

 general use of it in rations for adult birds. Its high fibre con- 

 tent makes it undesirable for chicks. 



Sunflower seed is very desirable for poultry during the molt- 

 ing season. It is rich in vegetable oil and aids greatly in the 

 formation of new feathers, giving the feathers a clean, glossy 

 appearance, which cannot be obtained without such oil. 



Peas and Beans. These legumes are grown in limited amounts 

 and cannot be considered as standard poultry feeds, but, where 



