FEEDING POULTRY 347 



in each succeeding generation by constantly breeding only from 

 the more vigorous and productive. Although the hen's laying 

 capacity cannot be increased, it can be developed to the fullest 

 degree by providing favorable environmental conditions as feeding, 

 housing, yarding, etc. 



Animal Feeds. — Animal feed of one kind or another has been 

 an essential part of the diet of fowls as far back as history extends. 

 A fair proportion of the wild fowl's diet consists of insects, worms 

 and bugs of various kinds. The craving for animal feed of some 

 sort as a part of their diet was natural to the wild ancestors of our 

 present domestic fowls, for nature modeled them so that they 

 should readily catch and utilize such materials as feed and instilled 

 into their being an appetite for animal feed as a part of the daily 

 ration. 



This appetite for meat feeds remains with our domestic fowls, 

 even though they have been under domestication for a long period 

 of time. In fact ever since man first began to use poultry for 

 utilitarian purposes, the value of animal products as an essential 

 part of their ration has been recognized. Ten per cent of the 

 total ration or from twenty to twenty-five per cent of the mash is 

 generally recommended as being the proper proportion of such 

 animal feed as dried meat scrap or fish scrap. However, the 

 writer's experience is that where high-protein vegetable feeds are 

 used in the ration as a partial substitute for the more expensive 

 animal protein feed, less than this amount of commercial meat 

 feed can be advantageously fed. Since animal feeds are the most 

 costly materials used in a poultry ration, the cost of the ration and 

 therefore the cost of the product could be reduced if a less expensive 

 vegetable substitute were used for a part of the animal feed. 



Buttermilk and skim milk, which are the usual forms of milk 

 used, have proved in a great many tests to be two of the best animal 

 feeds for poultry when properly fed. Since it is difficult to feed 

 skim milk always sweet, and as it is undesirable to feed it some- 

 times sweet and sometimes sour, a sour condition is the most satis- 

 factory way in which to feed it. With young stock until they are 

 over half-grown, it should not be fed too freely as they are apt to 

 drink too much and contract indigestion or fermentation of the crop. 



Meat scrap and fish scrap are the commercial forms of animal 

 feed most widely used for poultry feeding. These are slaughter- 

 house and fish-cannery by-products that have been cooked, dried 

 and reduced to a finely ground condition. A good grade of com- 



