POULTRY 



643 



New York state station a test was made 

 during two years with White Leghorns 

 and Cochins to compare whole grains 

 with ground grains. On the average it 

 cost about 7 cents more per hen 

 when whole dried grain was fed than 

 when 37 to 50 per cent of the grain was 

 ground and fed moistened. The amount 



Fig. 410 — MOTTLED JAVA 



of eggs produced, however, was practi- 

 cally the same on both rations. The 

 Cochins, however, regularly laid about 

 30 per cent more eggs on the whole 

 grain rations than on the ground ra- 

 tions. With the Leghorns the results 

 were practically the same the first year 

 but about 16 per cent better on the 

 ground moistened ration the second 

 year. 



At the West Virginia station consid- 

 erably better results were secured with 

 both old and young hens as regards egg 

 production, when about one-third of the 

 grain ration was fed ground moist, than 

 when all the grain was fed whole and 

 scattered in the litter. 



Corn is the standard grain for chick- 

 ens. It uniformly produces eggs of ex- 

 cellent quality and yellow corn has the 

 additional advantage of producing a 

 rich, yellow yolk. It is also usually the 

 cheapest grain. Corn has been fed in 

 comparison with various other grains, 

 at a number of the experiment stations. 

 At the Massachusetts Hatch station it 

 was found fully as efficient as wheat in 

 producing eggs when these grains were 

 fed in combination with beef scraps. 



Usually it should be fed cracked and 

 scattered in the litter. 



A ration entirely of corn is wholly 

 unsatisfactory for either laying hens or 

 fattening fowls. It may, however, form 

 a large proportion of the grain ration. 

 At the New York state station laying 

 hens fed continuously for about two 

 months on corn and corn meal picked 

 the feathers and flesh from each other 

 so that two of the hens were killed, 

 while on a mixed diet, the hens kept in 

 perfect plumage. 



At the Utah station the number of 

 eggs produced was practically the same 

 whether corn or sunflower seed was fed. 

 But a wheat ration resulted in a larger 

 production of eggs than a corn ration. 

 Exceptionally glossy plumage was pro- 

 duced on the sunflower seed. 



Buckwheat is generally highly prized 

 as a food for laying hens. In a test at 

 the Massachusetts Hatch station, decid- 



Fig. 411 — SINGLE COMB BUFF ORPINGTON 



edly more eggs were produced on a 

 corn ration than on a buckwheat ration, 

 when both of these grains were fed 

 with milk albumen as the principal 

 source of animal food. Buckwheat 

 whole or ground is highly recommended 

 by the Canadian stations for egg pro- 

 duction. 



