POULTRY NOTES I9II-I913. 159 



and shooting them is one effectual method of deahng with them. 

 Several good cats on the place also aid materially in fighting 

 this pest. A systematic trapping campaign is productive of 

 good results. It must, however, be continued without interrup- 

 tion over a considerable period of time. Desultory trapping pro- 

 duces little eft'ect on the rat population. A thorough-going 

 campaign, howxver, tends to drive the uncaught rats away from 

 the premises. 



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 Avinter 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 

 poultry plant of the Maine Station considerable attention has 

 been given to this matter of supplying green and succulent food 

 and as a result of experience extending now over a number of 

 years, a satisfactory scheme of furnishing this necessary part 

 of the ration under our conditions has been worked out. 



To be satisfactory not only must the green food given to 

 poultry be of the proper kind to give good results in egg pro- 

 duction, but also it must be something which can be produced 

 and handled at small cost. Furthermore a factor which is fre- 

 quently lost sight of is that fowls need something besides 

 succulence in their so-called "green" food. There is a distinc- 

 tion between a succulent fodder and a "green food" in the strict 

 sense. One can supply succulence in the form of root crops 

 such as mangolds. A careful consideration of the case, however, 

 indicates that apparently the fundamental need of the fowls is 

 not for succulence as such, but rather for the tonic effect which 

 is produced by green plants, probably primarily because of the 

 presence of chlorophyll. In feeding fowls for high egg produc- 

 tion it is neessary that they be given a ration rich in protein. 

 Only fowls of strong constitution, and with thoroughly sound 

 digestive systems, can handle the heavy laying rations carrying 



