142 



The actual method of sprouting the oats is as follows : Clean and 

 sound oats are soaked in water over night in a pail. The next morn- 

 ing flats are filled to the depth of about two inches, and put into the 

 sprouting closet. At the beginning freshly filled flats are placed near 

 the top of the closet so as to get the maximum amount of heat, and 

 in that way get the sprouts started at once. During the first few days, 

 until the sprouts have started, the oats are thoroughly stirred and 

 raked over at least once during the day. This stirring insures an even 

 distribution of moisture throughout the mass of oats in the flat. After 

 the sprouts become sufficiently long so that the oats form a matted 

 mass it is not desirable to stir them, or to disturb them in any way. 

 Stirring at that time will break off and injure the sprout, and the 

 green portion above the mass will not grow so well. The matter of 

 prime importance in growing the oats successfully has been found to 

 be sufficient moisture. The tendency at first is to use too little mois- 

 ture. The oats should be kept quite wet. The aim here is to keep 

 condensed moisture standing on the glass doors, which form the 

 front of the closet at all times. In order to do this it is found neces- 

 sary to wet the oats three times a day. This is done with an ordi- 

 nary greenhouse sprinkling can, with very little expenditure of time 

 or labor. As the oats grow the flats are moved to different positions 

 in the closet. The taller the green material gets the near the flats are. 

 moved toward the floor, because the growing grain then needs less 

 heat. This procedure leaves the desirable places in the closet for the 

 grain just beginning to sprout where high temperature is needed. 



The oats are fed when they are from four to six inches in height. 

 They are fed at the rate of a piece of the matted oats and attached 

 green stalks about six to eight inches square for each one hundred 

 birds per day. In feeding, this six to eight inches square piece is 

 broken into smaller pieces and scattered over the pen, so to insure 

 that all the birds shall have an opportunity to get some. Fed at the 

 rate indicated, this material has never caused any bowel trouble among 

 the birds. 



It should be clearly understood that the purpose for which green 

 sprouted oats are fed is their tonic and stimulative influence on the 

 digestive organs. They are not fed for the food value of the oats 

 themselves. If one wishes merely to feed oats they can be most 

 economically fed not sprouted. The point of sprouting is to furnish 

 fresh, succulent, green food during the winter months. 



THE MAN BEHIND THE GUN. 



It's the man that really counts. A man to be successful in this 

 business should have a liking for poultry to such an extent that it is a 

 pleasure to him to see that they are well fed and comfortable ; one 

 who is willing to go out in a sudden storm to see that his birds are 

 all in out of the wet ; one who quickly detects anything wrong in one 

 of his yard, a droopy hen or a sick one, or an empty grit hopper ; one 

 who looks after the little things, such a man would have a fair chance 

 to be successful. 



