POULTRY NOTES — 1909. 75 



It has been the experience here that this method of feeding 

 breeders appears to help towards good fertihty and hatching 

 quahty of the eggs and vigor of the chicks. Usually when fed 

 and managed in this way the old hens do not lay at all during the 

 fall and winter months (October i to February i). 



GRESN FOOD FOR POULTRY. 



There is a general unanimity of opinion amongst experienced 

 poultrymen that poultry do best upon some form of green or 

 succulent food during the winter months. The function of such 

 succulent food is probably largely in the nature of a digestive 

 stimulant, rather than as an addition to the actual food con- 

 stituents of the ration. Formerly mangolds were used as a 

 source of winter succulent food at this Station. They did not, 

 however, prove entirely satisfactory. The chief difficulty with 

 the mangolds was found in getting them properly grown so that 

 they would keep fresh and plump during the winter. If man- 

 golds are not ripened off and harvested in the proper*manner 

 they will not keep through the winter but will shrivel and be- 

 come unfit to use as a succulent food. In the experience of the 

 Station it is much better not to feed any green or succulent food 

 at all than to feed withered, shriveled mangolds which were 

 harvested before they were thoroughly ripe. 



On account of this difficulty with mangolds as a source of 

 winter green food, the Station began in 1908 some experiments 

 with green sprouted oats as a source of such food. Green 

 sprouted oats have been very widely exploited in recent vears 

 as a green food for poultry. There are some so-called "poultry" 

 systems" on the market which really consist of very little else 

 than the use of this food. The- first experiments with this 

 material at the Station were not satisfactory. It was found 

 difficult to get the oats to make a sufficiently quick growth. 

 Experience here has indicated that in order to make a satis- 

 factory green food the oats must be grown very quicklv. In 

 order to get quick growth it is necessary to have three things : — 

 first, warmth; second, plenty of moisture; and third, sunlight. 

 After a numlier of experiments to get the right coniliination of 

 these three factors the plan to be described was finally worked 

 out and has proven very satisfactorv. 



