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whole grain food should be scattered in this straw. There will be no 

 waste in this, as the fowls will find about every kernel. The skill of 

 the poultryman comes in feeding .enough at a time, without having to 

 feed too often, to keep the hens busy at work a large portion of the 

 day. If too much is given at a feed, the fowls will soon satisfy their 

 appetites, while if too little is given they will soon clean it up and 

 there will be nothing to scratch for. It isn't necessary to keep them 

 scratching all day. Leghorns, for instance, will do nearly as well 

 when fed in a hopper or box. If they have a yard and a floor they 

 will exercise themselves whether compelled to dig for their food or 

 not. Forced exercise, however, is necessary for the larger or less 

 active breeds. In an experiment, three pullets kept in a small pen on 

 a board floor without any litter, laid one hundred and sixteen eggs 

 in a year, an average of thirty-eight and two-third eggs each. One 

 of these was a Leghorn pullet, which laid fifty-two eggs. Leghorns 

 fed in straw averaged one hundred and sixty-nine per fowl, and 

 others fed in boxes or hoppers averaged one hundred and sixty-one. 

 Two pens of Plymouth Rocks averaged one hundred and forty-one 

 fed in straw, and two fed in boxes averaged one hundred and 

 eighteen each. In each case the ration was the same. It is seen here 

 that the method of feeding was responsible for a variation in yield of 

 from fifty-two eggs per fowl to one hundred and sixty-nine. The 

 experiment showed that no exercise, or forced idleness, was ruinous 

 both to production and to health of fowls. Second, it showed that 

 Leghorns, or the active breeds, will do well even though they are 

 not forced to scratch for every kernel of grain, but the heavier breeds 



Feeding yarded fowls in the litter, 

 therefore, is a decided advantage 

 with some breeds, and it is not detri- 

 mental to any breed. A Leghorn 

 given the liberty of a yard and a 

 floor to scratch on, even though all 

 grain be fed in a hopper or box, will 

 take exercise enough to produce 

 well. The chief disadvantage of 

 feeding in the litter is that the grain 

 is liable to become contaminated 

 with the droppings of the fowls, 

 which is a fruitful method of carry- 

 ing disease from one fowl to an- 

 Buff cochins. other. This method, however, is 



usually necessary with most fowls, and with care in renewing the 

 straw often enough, little danger need be feared from this source. 

 The droppings from the fowls at night should not be permitted to 

 mingle with the litter. 



Summing Up. Feed wholesome food; feed liberally; feed regu- 

 larly; feed a variety. After that, the only secret in feeding is to 

 feed ACTIVITY into the hen. 



GRAHAM'S METHOD OF FEEDING. 



The Poultry Department of the Ontario Agricultural College at 

 Guelph, Ontario, Canada, has produced some splendid results in the 

 p 7. 



