16 BULLETIN 561, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



4, 11, 6, and 6. In 1914: 10, 10, 10, 8, 8, 11, 8, 6, 8, 6, 2, 4, and 8. 

 In 1915: 6, 4, 5, 3, 7, 4, 4, 5, 4, 3, 7, 7, and 5. Barley was fed in 

 this grain mixture (see Table 1). 



Pens 5 and 6 were started in January at about the same time and 

 their egg yields the first year were practically equal, but the hens in 

 Pen 6 consumed 6 pounds more of feed per hen, at an additional cost 

 of 17 cents, while it took 0.76 pounds more of feed to produce a 

 dozen eggs, costing 1.94 cents more per dozen. The hens in Pen 6 

 during their second year ate 10 pounds more of feed than those in 

 Pen 5, costing 17 cents more per hen, while it took 2 pounds more of 

 feed to produce a dozen eggs, costing 3.4 cents more per dozen. 

 In the third year these two pens produced about the same number of 

 eggs, but Pen 5 ate 14 pounds less of grain per hen. Pen 5 produced 

 eggs 2.8 cents per dozen cheaper that year than Pen 6, and the profit 

 per hen over feed cost was 24 cents greater. Pen 6 had the advantage 

 of being on free range, while Pen 5 was confined to yards, and the 

 latter pen contained a much larger number of broody hens than 

 Pen 6. This ration and method of feedmg kept the hens too fat 

 (Pen 6), as shown in Table 10. The hens ate the barley freely, and 

 this grain appears to be a good feed to use if cheaper than wheat or 

 to add variety to the ration. Plowever, the comparative value of 

 barley and wheat is not in any way determined by this experiment. 



This ration and method of feedmg appears to be less desirable 

 than any other in which beef scrap was used. The hens in Pen 6 

 ate more gram than any other pen, had the highest feed cost, pro- 

 duced eggs at the greatest cost per dozen compared with the other 

 pens started at the same time, and were overfat. Regulating the 

 proportions of mash and scratch grains to about equal parts of each 

 keeps the fowls in better condition than where only a small pro- 

 portion of mash is fed. Mortality does not appear to be materially 

 influenced by the relative proportions of scratch grains and mash in 

 the ration, if the percentage of beef scrap is not materially changed. 

 A ration including a mash containing beef scrap, or with the beef 

 scrap fed separately, makes a cheaper and better ration than one 

 without the mash, even though the beef scrap is supplied. 



FREE RANGE COMPARED WITH LARGE YARDS. 



All pens except Nos. 3, 5, and 7 had free range, while these pens 

 were confined to large yards (see Table 1). However, other changes 

 besides the range enter into a comparison of these pens with the range 

 pens, making it hard to draw definite conclusions, but the evidence 

 points strongly to better egg yield and other results on free range, 

 especially with Leghorns. The greatest difference due perhaps to 

 free range is noted in Pen 8, in which during their first year 36 more 

 eggs per hen were laid than in Pen 7, while in their second year the 



