POULTRY EXPERIMENTS. 1 23 



trough can then be filled and the roof drawn back into place 

 without lifting it. This arrangement is the best thus far found, 

 for saving food from waste and keeping it in good condition. 

 When dry mash is used in it there may be considerable waste 

 "by the finer parts being blown away. When used for that 

 purpose it is necessary to put it in a sheltered place out of the 

 high winds. 



In separate compartments of the troughs, they are given 

 cracked corn, wheat, oats, dry meal mixture, grit, dry cracked 

 bone, oyster shell and chaicoal. The dry meal mixture is of 

 the same composition as that fed to the laying hens, described 

 on page 125. The troughs are located about the field in sufifi- 

 'Cient numbers to fully accommodate all of the birds. 



The results of this method of feeding are satisfactory. The 

 labor of feeding is far less than that required by any other 

 method followed. The birds do not hang around the troughs 

 .and over-eat, but help themselves, a little at a time, and range 

 off, hunting, or playing and coming back again, when so 

 inclined, to the food supply at the troughs. There is no rush- 

 ing, or crowding about the attendant, as is usual at feeding 

 time, where large numbers are kept together. 



For the last 7 years we have gotten the first eggs when the 

 -pullets were from 4 months and 10 days, to 4 months and 20 

 days old. There is some danger of the pullets getting devel- 

 ■oped too early, and commencing laying too soon for best 

 results, under this system of feeding. In order to prevent 

 -such conditions, the houses should not be located too close 

 "to each other, or to the feed troughs, and a. large range should 

 be given them so they may be induced to work, which they 

 will do, if given the opportunity early after their removal to 

 "the fields. Should the birds show too great precocity, and 

 that they are liable to commence laying in August, the supply 

 of cracked corn in the feeding trough is reduced, or taken 

 away altogether, which causes them to eat the wheat, oats 

 and dry meal instead, and they continue to grow and develop 

 without getting too fat and ripe. 



During the last days of October it is our practice to move 

 the pullets into the laying house. 



