-FEEDING OF FOWLS 77 



SPECIAL FEEDING MIXTURES 



It not unusual to have in every flock some chicks that 

 grow their feathers very slowly. This may come from 

 lack of mineral elements in the system. Mineral matters 

 compose about 5 per cent, of the body weight of birds, 

 and for the most part they enter into the formation of 

 bone and feathers. All feed rations should contain suffi- 

 cient of these substances, which are largely lime, potash, 

 and calcium phosphate. Calcium phosphate from bone 

 is most beneficial, although both bone and meat scraps 

 are necessary for a well-formed ration. A dry-mash 

 mixture containing these elements can be made of wheat 

 bran, 20 lb.; ground oats, 10 Ib. ; gluten meal, 5 lb.; corn 

 meal, 5 lb.; alfalfa meal, 5 lb.; meat scraps, 3 lb.; low- 

 grade flour, 1 lb. ; bone meal or granulated bone, 3 lb. 



Mix the meat scraps into the flour. This is for the 

 purpose of coating them thoroughly so as to keep the 

 particles separated for better mixing into the meals. 

 The greater part of all the husks should be sifted out 

 of the ground oats and the larger particles should be 

 sifted out of the meat scraps. The alfalfa meal should 

 be pure and ground fine. Meat scraps should be of excel- 

 lent quality. 



This dry mash mixture is fine for growing chicks, as 

 it hastens the growth of the feathers, bone, and muscle. 

 It contains the elements that satisfy the growing chicks 

 and to some extent prevents feather pulling and the 

 eating of their toes. This same dry mash can be used 

 for all fowls kept in confinement. It should be fed in 

 hoppers. 



Bread-and-Milk Mixture. Moisten stale bread with 

 milk, either sweet milk, sour milk, or buttermilk. The 

 milk may be warmed a little, but not enough to boil or 

 to set the curds. After the bread is thoroughly softened 

 with the milk and mixed almost to a liquid, add ground 

 oats and corn meal in equal parts, making the mixture 

 into a crumbly mass. Add salt, not more than a stroked 

 teaspoonful to 100 chickens. This mixture is excellent 



