27 



voided in the form of excrement. Then the hen has a. task to 

 perform such as is imposed upon few other creatures. She is 

 expected to lay an egg weighing not less than two ounces ; 

 and an egg, as everyone knows, is one of the richest of food 

 products. Deduct from the six ounces of food two ounces for 

 waste and two ounces for egg production, and it will be seen 

 that only two ounces are left to repair the tissues and maintain 

 the temperature of the body. The laying hen needs a generous 

 diet, and those doctrinaires who advocate keeping her in a 

 state of semi-starvation have not support in reason for their 

 theory. 



FEEDING FOR EGGS: WINTER METHOD. 



Having given my readers the principles that apply to feed- 

 ing, I propose now to tell them how I put these principles into 

 practice. I desire to state here that I have no patent methods. 

 I aim to apply common sense to the problem of egg production, 

 as I do other things ; but I do not claim to have a monopoly 

 of wisdom. There are doubtless other methods as good as mine. 

 As I said in a preceding section, there are many possible com- 

 binations that will produce good results. I give you mine, and 

 leave you to adopt it or not as you think best. 



From October to May I feed as follows: A mash the first 

 thing in the morning. The mash is made as I am about to de- 

 scribe. Into an iron kettle holding 12 quarts I put two quarts 

 (dry measure) cut clover, two quarts mixed feed or wheat 

 bran, two quarts corn meal, one quart green ground bone or 

 beef scraps, and one quart table scraps. The ingredients are 

 thoroughly mixed together. I then take the kettle into the 

 house and set it on the range, where the meal can become 

 warm. I next stir in a heaping teaspoonful of salt, and in the 

 coldest weather sprinkle in a little black pepper. Boiling water 

 is then added to the mash in just sufficient quantity to moisten 

 every particle and yet not have it sticky and sloppy. I con- 

 sider the mash just right to feed when I can take some up in 

 my hand and have it feel pleasantly warm (not hot), and dry 

 enough so that it will not adhere to the palm or fingers. Some 

 advocate dry feeding. I have no doubt the food is just as 

 nourishing without the water, and after they become accus- 

 tomed to it (or starved into it) the hens will eat it readily 

 enough ; but before the food can be digested it must be mois- 

 tened, and I think it better and safer to moisten it for the 

 birds myself than to allow them to do so. I do not believe 



