642 



FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



in summer than hens fed a ration with 

 a nutritive ratio of 1 :4.7. The hens fed 

 the more carbonaceous corn ration 

 gained more in weight than those fed a 

 nitrogenous ration and the eggs pro- 



Fig. 408 SINGLE COIIB RHODE ISLAND 



RED HEX 



duced were of superior quality, though 

 a trifle smaller. 



Likewise in a comprehensive test at 

 the New York Cornell station, a nitrog- 

 enous ration of oats, corn-on-cob, and 

 a mixture of linseed meal, bran and 

 ground oats, was fed to a lot of hens for 

 one year in comparison with a carbona- 

 ceous ration of corn meal, corn-on-cob 

 and oats. Clean, comfortable quarters, 

 green feed, and a small run were given 

 to both lots and meat scraps fed occa- 

 sionally. The hens fed the more nitrog- 

 enous rations were always in better 

 health and their plumage was full and 

 glossy, while the other hens were oftener 

 sick and their plumage often ragged 

 and dull and the vices of feather pulling 

 and egg eating more common among 

 them. Nevertheless, the hens on the 

 more carbonaceous ration laid 28 per 

 cent more eggs in number and 24 per 

 cent more in weight than the other lot. 



In the case of the smaller breeds of 

 fowls in the test the number of eggs 

 laid was 57 per cent better on the car- 

 bonaceous than on the nitrogenous ra- 



tion. The amount of dry feed con- 

 sumed was about the same in both lots. 

 In the opinion of the station the re- 

 sults of the test as a whole indicate: 

 "That for laying fowls of the smaller 

 breeds Indian corn or corn meal can be 

 fed in quite large proportion with a 

 considerable margin in its favor over 

 certain more nitrogenous foods; but 

 that while smaller fowls even when con- 

 fined, suffer little serious disadvantage 

 under the ration, larger breeds will not 

 endure for a long period a very large 

 proportion of corn meal in their food 

 and unless at liberty will do better on 

 a somewhat more nitrogenous ration. 

 For exhibition stock a highly nitrog- 

 enous ration is recommended, except 

 perhaps, for a short period when extra 

 weight is to be desired." 



In this exneriment the bones of the 

 corn meal lot were as well developed as 

 those of the lot fed linseed meal. 



At the New York state station a 

 small amount of tallow was fed to lay- 

 ing hens without apparent beneficial or 

 harmful results as regards egg produc- 

 tion. The tallow ration has an appar- 

 ent tendency to delay molting and on 

 this account it is believed that summer 

 rations should be highly nitrogenous to 

 encourage early molting and a new 

 growth of feathers. 



Fig. 409 — ROSE COMB DOMINIQUE COCK 



Grain for laying hens — For growing 

 chicks and fattening fowls, grain is 

 most economically fed ground. With 

 laying hens opinions differ as to the 

 necessity of grinding grains. At the 



