MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 57 



Bran joo lbs. 



Corn meal 50 lbs. 



Daisy flour, or other low-grade flour 50 lbs. 



Meat scrap 100 lbs. 



Birds kept over from one season to another are managed in 

 the following way. The birds com_pleting their pullet year 

 which are to be kept as breeders are continued on the usual 

 pullet ration until after they have finished their moult in the 

 early fall, usually in September or early October with the birds 

 here. Immediately after the moult is over and the hens are 

 well feathered out they are put. on the dry mash ration given 

 above. They are fed in the Wc^y described until the beginning 

 of their second breeding season. At this Station the breeding 

 pens are usually mated up about the first of February. During 

 the breeding season all birds, both hens and pullets are fed the 

 following mash : 



Wheat bran 200 lbs. 



Corn meal 100 lbs. 



Daisy flour lOO lbs. 



Meat scrap 50 lbs. 



Dry bone meal 50 lbs. 



The experience of the Station indicates that by reducing 

 animal food to a minimum it is possible to improve markedly 

 the hatching qualities of the eggs. Besides the dry mash the 

 breeders are fed wheat, corn and oats in the same way as the 

 laying pullets. Further they are given an abundance of green 

 food, always including green sprouted oats. 



GREEN FOOD FOR POULTRY. 



During recent years an increasing amount of attention has 

 been paid by poultrymen everywhere to the furnishing of green 

 food to their fowls during the winter months, when it is im- 

 possible, in northern parts of the country, at least, for the birds 

 to get fresh succulent pasturage out of doors. General experi- 

 ence seems to teach that an addition of green succulent food 

 to the ration of laying hens tends to keep them in better physi- 

 cal condition and helps towards a better egg production. On the 



