Il6 PROFITABLE POULTRY PRODUCTION 



A hen so fed would require two or three days to 

 secure enough protein to make an egg. 



Eggs contain also one-quarter ounce of ash, 

 mostly in the shell. An ounce of wheat contains 

 less than one-tenth as much lime and other ash con- 

 stituents as the egg contains. Eggs also contain 

 fat, less than one-quarter of an ounce; wheat con- 

 tains three-quarters of an ounce. When fed as 

 above hens would not get egg constituents in prop- 

 er proportions to make an egg a day. It is just as 

 poor economy to feed corn or any other feed ex- 

 clusively. The rations must be balanced. If left to 

 herself the hen would secure what she needs if such 

 raw material were available. 



The following suggestions will prove helpful: 

 The hen first supplies the needs of her body. This 

 demands constant rebuilding because of the con- 

 tinual wearing out or breaking down of animal 

 tissue. The poultryman must therefore feed more 

 than enough to supply this waste. He must feed 

 a growing ration to the chicks and other young 

 fowls. He must compound rations to insure health 

 and vitality and then supply enough raw material 

 of the various kinds for the hen to make eggs. Eggs 

 are made from surplus food. After the hen has 

 supplied her body wastes, she may devote the 

 balance to egg production. It is therefore poor 

 economy to feed just enough to keep the hen in 

 health and vigor. Heavy feeding, however, does 

 not necessarily mean heavy egg yield. While the 

 heavy layer must consume abundant, food, the 

 manner of feeding and the kind of feed must be 

 reckoned because the efficiency of feed depends 

 largely upon the kind of the feed itself and the skill 

 of feeding. 



