No. 4.] 



FEEDS AND FEEDING. 



27 



sible, if we wish to be economical and keep the hen in the 

 best condition. 



A mixture of equal parts by weight of corn, wheat and 

 oats has a nutritive ratio of about 1 to 8i/>. In order, there- 

 fore, to provide a balanced ration, we must feed something 

 in addition to these grains that has a much larger percentage 

 of protein. We have, therefore, adopted what we term the 

 mash, a mixture of ground grains and by-products. By feed- 

 ing such a mash, with a nutritive ratio of 1 to 2.3 to 1 to 3.6, 

 together with about an equal amount of scratch feed, we 

 place before the hen materials from which she can balance 

 her own ration. 



Table 13. — • Poultry Mashes. 



Mash 1. 



Mash 2. 



Mash 3. 



200 pounds wheat bran. 



100 pounds wheat middlings. 



100 pounds corn meal. 



100 pounds alfalfa (ground). 



50 pounds beef scrap. 



50 pounds linseed meal. 



50 pounds gluten meal. 



100 pounds wheat bran. 



100 pounds wheat middlings. 



100 pounds corn meal. 



100 pounds fine ground oats. 



100 pounds alfalfa (ground). 



100 pounds beef scrap. 



100 pounds wheat bran. 

 100 pounds wheat middlings. 

 100 pounds corn meal. 

 100 pounds ground oats. 

 100 pounds gluten feed. 

 100 pounds linseed meal. 

 100 pounds beef scrap. 



We have in the above chart three different formulae for 

 poultry mashes, with some difference in their nutritive ratios, 

 but all three well adapted to be fed with mixed grains. The 

 last, or No. 3, is the richest in protein, its nutritive ratio 

 being about 1 to 2.5. 



If you have barley or buckwheat, you can add 50 pounds 

 of either, or 50 pounds of both, to any one of the above grain 

 mixtures. The exact composition of a scratch feed should 

 depend entirely upon the relative cost of the grains and the 

 ease with which they can be obtained. As already noted, 



