April, 1931] Agricultural Research in N. H., 1930 19 



In one experiment four pens, each containing more than a hundred 

 birds, were used. Two pens were hand-fed grain and two were given 

 their grain in hoppers. It was found that the birds were able to ad- 

 just their feed intake to their individual requirements whether they 

 had continuous access to grain in hoppers or were restricted to a short 

 feeding period in the late afternoon. 



Under both conditions the birds consumed about 48 per cent of 

 their total feed in the form of mash over the full feeding period of 37 

 weeks. In the separate weeks of the experiment, however, wide vari- 

 ations occurred. The proportion of mash to scratch feed consumed, 

 ranged as widely as from 39 to 65 per cent, indicating that fluctuations 

 depend on the rate of production and the environment of the birds. 

 It is doubtful whether a poultryman, by the hand-feeding method, 

 can judge the requirements of the hens as accurately as the birds 

 themselves. Birds in all pens made consistent gains in body weight 

 and finished the 37 weeks in the experimental pens in a good market- 

 able condition. 



Carrying this experiment a step further, Messrs. Charles and Tep- 

 per studied whether birds would establish a balanced ration of their 

 own from hoppers of individual feed ingredients. Two pens of 100 

 birds each were used. In one pen the regular New Hampshire laying 

 ration was fed; in the other, each ingredient was supplied in an in- 

 dividual hanging hopper. At the end of 12 weeks considerable vari- 

 ations in the percentages of certain feeds were found. The birds in 

 the cafeteria pen, for instance, chose much more corn meal and less 

 whole corn, more whole wheat and less bran than those given the 

 standard ration. Even with these differences, however, there was not 

 a wide variance between the two nutritive ratios. In the cafeteria 

 group this ratio based on the proportionate consumption of mash 

 and scratch was 1:4.98, and in the control group 1:4.82. There was 

 a slight loss in weight, amounting to .299 pounds per bird. The feed 

 cost in the cafeteria group was 3.12 cents more per bird for the 12- 

 weeks period. 



While birds can apparently be trusted to feed themselves carefully 

 on grain, another experiment indicates that care must be taken to pro- 

 vide only a reasonable amount of any succulent supplementary feed 

 to laying birds. 



Two groups of S. C. W. Leghorns fed an abundance of mangel beets 

 were thrown out of condition physically and production was materi- 

 ally reduced. These birds were slow to respond to corrective treat- 

 ment. There was a shrinking of the comb and wattles and the comb, 

 particularly, took on a purplish cast. Many of the birds indicated 

 by their appearance a general upset physically. The majority molted, 

 but some were able to continue production. Apparently any appetiz- 

 ing succulent material can easily be fed in sufficient quantities to af- 

 fect the physical condition of the birds adversely, and in many cases 

 upset production. 



