396 The Feeding of Animals 



As an example of a day's ration which would cor- 

 respond to the requirements of the standard given for 

 young chicks during the second week the following is 

 stated: Four pounds of cracked wheat, two pounds of 

 granulated oat meal, three pounds of corn meal, one- 

 half pound each of wheat middlings, buckwheat mid- 

 dlings, ground oats and old process linseed meal, two 

 and one -fourth pounds of animal meal and two and 

 three -fourths pounds of young green alfalfa. This 

 would feed from eight hundred to a thousand chicks 

 of this age. 



Another ration in accord with the standard given 

 for ducklings about three weeks old might be constituted 

 as follows: Eight pounds corn meal, three pounds wheat 

 middlings, two pounds ground barley, two pounds of 

 old process linseed meal, six pounds of animal meal, 

 two pounds of fresh bone and three pounds of young 

 green alfalfa. This and other specimen rations are 

 given under the assumption that free supplies of sharp 

 grit, as 'well as water, are also provided. 



A consideration of the adaptability of the different 

 foods, aside from their composition, and of the appar- 

 ent requirements of the young at different periods sug- 

 gests a ration somewhat wider in nutritive ratio for 

 the first few days than for some weeks afterward. 



In providing a ration, it may be possible to devise 

 one in accord with the formal standard which will be 

 decidedly inefficient at times if the chemical composition 

 and coefficients of digestibility are alone considered. 

 The adaptability of foods that are palatable must be 

 considered. The difference in the energy required to 



