THE FEEDING PROBLEM 45 



Analysis of Windsor Beans 



Per cents 



Water 10.98 



Ash 3.02 



Protein 18.80 



Fat 1.58 



Fiber 6.65 



Starch, etc 58.97 



Total 100.00 



Analysis of Navy Beans 



Per cents 



Water 12.60 



Ash 3.50 



Protein 22.50 



Fat 1.80 



Fiber 4.40 



Starch, etc .' 55.20 



Total 100.00 



It will be seen by these analyses how rich in protein are the 

 beans, and, therefore, what a valuable food for fowls. Realizing 

 the value of this, in order to help other of our readers, I wrote to 

 A. A. W. for further information about the beans he had sent me, 

 and received the following reply : 



"The beans are commonly known in England (where they are 

 very popular) as 'broad Windsor beans,' but to the best of my 

 remembrance these are a smaller species. I raised these here on 

 rich soil apparently high in nitrogen, judging by the rank top 

 growth of various crops planted therein ; the vines averaged a 

 height of over seven feet, which is more than double that claimed 

 for them by the seedsmen, who do not usually underestimate the 

 vigor and prolificacy of their well-advertised goods- I have a copy 

 of your poultry book and believe I have derived much profit from 

 it, as I am raising broilers and feeding them entirely according to 

 your directions* ; some of them weigh close on to two pounds each, 

 and none of them are over six weeks and four days old, raised in 

 brooder coops without hens or artificial heat, but with the best 

 possible care and attention to details, and with less loss than I ex- 

 pected, as this is my first experience of this way of raising them. 

 May I trouble you to inform me of the best method of feeding the 

 beans to chicks of various ages, as I have others at different stages. 

 I have fed them occasionally to month-old chicks in small quantities 

 by soaking until the skins will slip, then chopping up fine with 

 bran to make a crumbly mash. I would much like to know if this 

 is a good combination or otherwise, and how best and when to feed, 

 and the proportion of beans, and whether chopped up dry, soaked 

 or cooked. 



"My idea in discarding the skins is that being very tough and 

 leathery, they might possibly be indigestible." 



In reply to this, the skins are very tough, that is, the skins 

 of both horse beans and Windsor beans, and it was a wise precau- 



* See Rations for Broilers, page 39. 



