POULTRY EXPERIMENTS. 179 



FEEDING THE HENS. 



Early in the morning for each ioo hens, 4 quarts of screened 

 cracked corn* are scattered on the litter, which is 6 or 8 inches 

 deep on the floor. This is not mixed into the litter, for the 

 straw is dry and light and enough of the grain is hidden so 

 the birds commence scratching for it almost immediately. At 

 10 o'clock they are fed in the same way, 2 quarts of wheat and 

 2 quarts of oats. This is all of the regular feeding that is done. 

 Along one side of the room is the fed trough, with its slatted 

 front. In it is kept a supply of dry meals mixed together. This 

 dry meal mixture is composed of the following materials : 200 

 pounds good wheat bran, 100 pounds corn meal, 100 pounds 

 middlings, 100 pounds gluten meal or brewers' grain, 100 

 pounds linseed meal, and 100 pounds beef scrap. 



These materials are spread on the floor in layers one above 

 another and shoveled together until thoroughly mixed, then 

 kept in stock, for supplying the trough. The trough is never 

 allowed to remain empty. The dry meal mixture is constantly 

 within reach of all of the birds and they help themselves at will- 

 Oyster shell, dry cracked bone, grit and charcoal are kept in- 

 slatted .troughs and are accessible at all times. A moderate 

 supply of mangolds and plenty of clean water is furnished. 

 About 5 pounds of clover hay cut into ^2-inch lengths is fed dry r 

 daily to each 100 birds, in winter. When the wheat, oats and 

 cracked corn are given, the birds are always ready and anxious- 

 for them and they scratch in the litter for the very last kernel^ 

 before going to the trough where an abundance of food is in 

 store. 



It is very evident that they like the broken and whole grains 

 better than the mixture of the fine, dry materials; yet they by 

 no means dislike the latter, for they help themselves to it, a 

 mouthful or two at a time, whenever they seem to need it, and 

 never go to bed with empty crops, so far as noted. They appar- 

 ently do not like it well enough to gorge themselves with it, and 

 sit down, loaf, get over-fat and lay soft-shelled eggs, as is so 

 commonly the case with Plymouth Rocks when they are given 

 warm morning mashes in troughs. 



Some of the advantages of this method of feeding are that 



* Whole corn will be used hereafter at the Station. See comparison of whole- 

 corn and cracked corn on pages ISO and following. 



