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larger proportion should be fed than formerly. In many sec- 

 tions of the State back yard poultry keepers will probably be 

 unable to buy in small quantities the various grains mentioned, 

 and may have to resort to commercial scratch feeds. However, 

 in buying, it is well to examine them very closely and see 

 that they are made up of sound, sweet grains. A splendid way 

 to test a scratch feed is to smell and taste of the various grains. 

 This will enable the purchaser to determine whether or not 

 they are musty or moldy. If a scratch feed is composed largely 

 of chaffy oats or barley it will contain a large amount of fiber, 

 and consequently be low in feeding value. 



Mashes. 



A mash is a mixture of ground grains and by-products, such as 

 ground oats, corn meal, bran, middlings and meat scraps. A 

 dry mash, as the term signifies, is one that is fed in a dry state, 

 and a wet mash is one that is moistened with water or milk 

 before feeding. Mashes are fed in order to make use of the by- 

 products, and, being quickly digested and rich in animal pro- 

 tein, are very forcing. Some feeds or materials that cannot 

 very well be used alone can be incorporated into mashes. For 

 these reasons we have adopted the system of feeding our hens 

 a ration consisting of part mash and part scratch feed. The 

 following mash is recommended to those who can buy the vari- 

 ous ingredients and wish to do their own mixing: equal parts 

 by weight of wheat bran, wheat middlings, corn meal, ground 

 oats, gluten feed and meat scraps. It is not necessary to add 

 salt, but if one desires to do so use about as much as put in 

 human food. As in case of scratch feeds, many back yard 

 poultry keepers will probably be unable to buy the various in- 

 gredients, and will be compelled to depend upon commercial 

 mashes. In buying these it is well to study the analyses and 

 select one that is fresh, sweet, palatable and fairly low in fiber, 

 as hens cannot easily digest it. 



Green and Succulent Feeds. 

 It is natural for hens to eat green feed, and it is surprising 

 how much they will consume if tender and palatable. Most 

 green stuffs grown in the garden — lettuce, cabbages, radish 



