198 



POULTRY FEEDS 



adulterated material can easily be detected. Clean alfalfa hay 

 is bright green in color and has the true alfalfa smell. 



Cut timothy is often used as an adulterant, and this can easily 

 be detected by the large amount of yellow or brown material pres- 

 ent; this adulteration cannot easily be detected in fine-ground or 

 meal form. 



TABLE IX. Composition of Hays and Grasses. 



(Total ingredients are given, regardless of their digestibility.) 



The green crops which are raised for poultry feeding most 

 extensively are alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, cereals, and buckwheat. 

 All green succulent grasses are desirable, and the one which grows 

 best during a given month should be ready at that time. Legumes 

 are most desirable for feed, as they contain considerable protein 

 and produce a heavy yield. A small alfalfa field should be run 

 in connection with every poultry plant, and will allow from three 

 to six cuttings of the same field during the season, supplying a 

 continuous source of green feed. 



Vegetables. A valuable property of vegetables in poultry 

 feeding is the amount of water they contain. They make very 

 desirable succulent feed where they can be grown successfully. 

 Fresh, leafy vegetables can be used for only a short time, as they 

 wilt and spoil quickly. Some of the root crops, such as mangels 

 and beets, maintain their succulent condition for a long time, and 

 will furnish succulence well through the winter if properly stored. 



The leading vegetable crops found most useful in supplying 

 succulence, during certain seasons of the year, are considered here. 

 It is rather hard to keep vegetable crops in storage for any con- 

 siderable time during the winter without a special place, as in an 

 underground root cellar. They are often used up soon after their 

 natural season to prevent loss in storage. 



