166 POULTRY BREEDING 
perfect repair. Any surplus of any elements of nutrition 
beyond the quantity the body properly can assimilate 
passes off in the droppings. It will be seen that a sur- 
plus of protein is pure waste, and the same is true of car- 
bohydrates. Here is shown the necessity of a ration 
containing the proper percentage of each of the elements 
of nutrition. Hence the necessity of feeding a balanced 
ration, 
All feeds contain some woody matter known as fiber, 
which has no value as feed. For convenience this is 
counted as carbohydrates. All feeds also contain more 
or less water. In computing rations this water is not 
taken into account, as it is simply pure water. The table 
on the preceding page shows the nutritive value of the 
several grain feeds used by poultrymen, with the digesti- 
ble content in 100 pounds. 
As a balanced ration for a fowl is about 1 part of pro- 
tein to 4.6 of carbohydrates, as determined by Wheeler of 
the New York Experiment Station, it will be seen from 
referring to the table that no single grain is exactly pro- 
portioned as to the requirements of a perfect ration. 
With the single exception of peas all the grains contain 
too great a percentage of carbohydrates. Peas being a 
very expensive feed in this country they are rarely used, 
as we can furnish the protein to balance the grains much 
cheaper by using some by-product, such as gluten feed, 
beef scrap, bloadmeal or oilmeal. The table on the next 
page gives the nutritive value of the several by-products 
commonly used in feeding poultry in this country. 
In order to promote thrift, produce rapid growth in 
voung fowls and provide elements from which laying 
hens may secure the materials used in the composition of 
eggs, thus inducing heavier laying, the poultryman must 
