18 



tops, spinach, beet tops, etc. — are relished by them. Lawn 

 clippings are also good. For winter use, mangels, beets, turnips 

 and carrots can be split open and fed. Beet pulp has about the 

 same feeding value as fresh beets or mangels, and can be 

 soaked and fed in about the same quantity. These materials are 

 not great egg makers in themselves, but they keep the hens in 

 good condition and act as appetizers. 



Animal Feed. 



Hens need some kind of animal feed, and it is given to them 

 by nature in the form of bugs, insects and worms. Hens yarded 

 are unable to secure these, so that meat scraps, green cut bone 

 or milk is fed instead. Meat scraps are mixed with the mash; 

 green cut bone is usually fed in a trough or on the litter, and 

 milk can be mixed with the mash or fed in a trough, jar or pan. 

 All these should not be fed at the same time. An ounce per 

 bird of green cut bone every second day is sufficient. The hens 

 can be given all the milk they will drink, and it is usually 

 soured before feeding, although this is not necessary. In many 

 places green cut bone can be secured at the butcher shop from 

 fall until spring, or during the cold season. It would hardly 

 pay to buy a feed cutter to do the grinding for a back yard 

 flock, as it is too expensive. 



Grit. 



Grit is usually given to the hens to assist in grinding the 

 coarse feed. Some people think this is not necessary, but most 

 poultrymen feed it. 



Oyster Shell. 



Oyster shell is fed because the hens need more lime for egg 

 shells than they get in other feeds. 



Charcoal. 



Charcoal is fed to poultry in a granular form in hoppers, or 

 mixed with the mash in either a granular or powdered form. 

 Its us^ is not absolutely essential for healthy stock. If hens 

 appear dumpish or get off their feed a little charcoal may be 

 used. 



