210 PRACTICE OF POULTRY FEEDING 
narrow, and is balanced for the feeding for some highly nitrogenous 
product. 
Rations must Contain Succulence and be Palatable—The ration 
as compounded must supply to the birds an abundance of succulent 
material. If not present under natural conditions, it will be neces- 
sary to supply it daily from an artificial source for at least one 
feeding. Where the birds have free range and an abundance of 
green grass, artificial sources are not necessary. In the winter, 
sprouted oats, mangel beets and cabbage, one or all, may be 
economically used. In the summer the feeding of green crops 
either by soiling methods or pasture should be largely depended 
upon, according to area and character of the range. 
The palatability of the rations should not be overlooked, for 
if the birds do not like a ration it usually means that they will 
not consume a sufficient amount to supply their needs. The 
natural craving for.a good ration will increase the amount con- 
sumed. In most cases the digestibility of a ration is increased by 
being palatable, because secretion of digestive juices is increased. 
Variety is an important factor in palatability. 
Sufficient Bulk.—Rations that are too concentrated should 
be avoided. When consumed they do not distend the digestive 
organs enough to allow a thorough mixing with the digestive 
juices. The feed is insufficiently digested, resulting in a tendency 
to produce diarrhoea and other disorders. Such materials as 
wheat bran, short-cut alfalfa, ground oats, and others, when added 
to a dry mash, increase bulk and make it more digestible than 
if the ration is composed of only middlings, corn meal, gluten, 
and meat scrap. 
There is a possibility, on the other hand, of having a ration 
too bulky, so that it will be necessary for the birds to consume 
extremely large amounts in order to get the required amount of 
digestible nutrients. The bulky materials added usually contain 
much fibre with little nutritive value. Care must be exercised in 
the preparation of rations to have them of proper bulk. 
Economical but not Cheap.—The cheapest feeds which can be 
purchased are not always the most economical. For instanee, 
100 pounds of meat scrap analyzing 40 per cent protein can now 
be purchased for $50 a ton, and meat scrap purchased for $60 a 
ton usually analyzes 60 per cent protein. If the low-grade meat: 
scrap is purchased, the poultryman pays $6.25 for every hundred 
pounds of protein, whereas for the high-grade meat he would pay 
