22 



be placed in a trough or other receptacle, and after the hens 

 have helped themselves examine what remains. If the birds 

 are hungry at the time and fed less than they need, only refuse 

 will be left. In purchasing cracked corn see that it is free 

 from meal, as it will be lost in the litter if fed in the usual 

 way. However, if the cracked corn contains a large amount 

 of meal, providing it cannot be sifted, it should be fed in a 

 trough or hopper in order to save the meal. Occasionally one 

 is offered oats or barley at a special price, but it may be 

 composed largely of hulls. Most wheat on the market is suit- 

 able for feed, but wheat screenings should be examined very 

 carefully before purchasing. If composed of 25 or 30 per cent 

 weed seeds they are very expensive at any price. The feeding 

 of large quantities of green and succulent feed, such as men- 

 tioned in another paragraph, will greatly decrease the feed bill. 

 It is a very common practice to feed such materials as these 

 once, twice or three times a week, but they should be fed daily. 

 It is well known to poultrymen that hens on a large range re- 

 quire much less concentrated feeds than when confined. The 

 back yard flock cannot be given a wide range, but if the garden 

 is large or not adjacent to the yard and the lawn near by, the 

 hens can be let out occasionally for a half hour or an hour near 

 roosting time. The more feed the hens gather for themselves 

 the more the feed bill is cut. The hens will not get too fat if 

 they eat an abundance of mash, as this is not so fattening as 

 grain. Do not let the hens waste the mash. It should be fed 

 in what may be termed a "no waste" hopper. If the hens 

 scratch it into the litter, adjust the hopper. Do not feed rats 

 and mice on the high-priced grains; better catch the rats and 

 mice and feed them to the hens. No unprofitable stock should 

 be kept during a period of high grain prices and intense con- 

 servation. (See paragraph on "Culling," page 29.) 



Poultry Management. 



Selection of Breed or Variety. 

 The points to be considered in selecting a breed or variety 

 are size, shape and color of both the fowls and eggs, as well as 

 the use to which they are put. As far as vigor, or hardiness. 



