POULTKY FEEDS AND METHODS OF FEEDING.' 



JOHN C. GRAHAM, PROFESSOR OF POULTRY HUSBANDRY, MASSACHUSETTS 



AGRICULTUR.\L COLLEGE. 



It is impossible to discuss intelligently the subjects of feeds 

 luid feeding, from both a practical and scientific point of view, 

 without thoroughly understanding a number of important terms 

 now in quite common use. We can hardly pick up a |>oultry 

 journal or a book on this subject without coming in contact 

 with such terms as protein, carbohydrates, fats, nutritive ratio, 

 balanced ration, etc. As there mav be some readers who are 

 not familiar with these terms, thev will be defined in order that 

 the discussions which follow may be fully understood. 



Proteins are made up of the nitrogenous portions of feeds. 

 They are the body builders, used in making the lean meat, eggs, 

 hair, nerves, tendons, etc. 



Carbohydrates are the starches and sugars particularly. 

 These are used for energy and heat. A hen may eat a large 

 amount of carbohydrates in twenty-four hours and yet at the 

 end of the time, if she were killed and her flesh analyzed, we 

 would find not more than one per cent of carbohydrates in her 

 body, although her food has been composed largely of these 

 materials. It shows how completely these are changed into 

 other things. 



Fats are the oily portions of food ; they are also used in the 

 body for heat and energy. The important thing alx>ut them 

 is that they are worth for that purpose two and one-fourth times 

 as much as the same weight of carbohydrates. That is, one 

 jiound of fats will produce as much heat and energy as two and 

 one-fourth ix)unds of carbohydrates. 



A balanced ration is one in M'hich the amounts of protein, 

 carbohydrates, fats and ash are in such proportions that when 

 it is eaten by the hen there will be no waste of any one of these 

 components. 



From " Agriculture of Massachusetts," W13. 



