POULTRY ]iXPERJM.]eNTS. 12J 



SUCCUIvIjN'r FOODS AND CLOVER. 



Succulent foods are supplied to all birds, each day through- 

 out the year. The double yards allow the birds to gather 

 green grass, young oats, rye or rape for themselves during 

 the growing season, as they are turned from the worn run to 

 the fresh ones, when the supply of green plants is eaten off. 

 If the sod is much broken, or the plants injured so they will 

 not spring up and cover the surface with green again, the 

 vacated yards are cultivated and reseeded heavily. 



When buildings are new and the runs are fenced in from 

 land with a good sod on it, the yards may last a year or two 

 without the sod being used up, but unless they are large, it 

 will soon be necessary to cultivate and reseed, if they are 

 depended upon to furnish green food. The yards, 20 by IQO 

 feet, are large enough so that there is room for a single horse 

 to work comfortably in them. It is questionable whether it 

 might not be_ more economical to construct only single yards 

 for exercise, and feed the hens daily on green food, which 

 could be raised on rich land, handy by. Probably less labor 

 would be required to raise the green food in the fields than 

 in the yards, but the labor of cutting and carrying it to the 

 birds would be considerable. 



For green food during winter and spring mangolds are 

 used. They are liked by the birds and when properly har- 

 vested and cared for remain crisp and sound until late spring. 

 They are fed whole, by sticking them on to projecting nails, 

 about a foot and a half above the floor. Care must be exer- 

 cised in feeding them, as they are laxative when used too 

 freely. On the average about a peck per day to 100 hens, 

 can be safely used. They would eat a much greater quantity 

 if they could get it. 



A 4 months' feeding test, extending from January i to 

 April 30, 1906, in which mangold wurzels were compared with 

 cut clover, has just been completed. Two lots of 'hens, each 

 consisting of 100, were kept under similar conditions, both 

 lots being fed as described on page 124, except that one lot 

 had about 17 pounds of mangolds each day and no clover; 

 while the other lot received no mangolds, but were given 5 

 pounds of clover leaves and heads, gathered from the feeding 

 floor in the cattle baxns. Both lots of birds had new beds of 



