BROILERS AND ROASTERS. 71 



become cold and soggy warm it up, and either mix with 

 some fresh mash or add dry bran and meal to improve its 

 consistency. 



It is not possible to give comprehensive directions about 

 mash making and mending. All that can be done in that 

 way is by suggestion — giving the reader an idea of what is 

 possible. He must work it out for himself, just as he 

 works out problems of incubation and brooding, learning 

 by experience how to balance the ingredients to get a com- 

 position that the chicks will eat with relish and thrive, 

 upon. " 



39. The Dry Feed System. — Leaving out of con- 

 sideration, for the time, the question of relative possibili- 

 ties of the two systems, I think it may be positively 

 affirmed that far the greater number of persons growing- 

 chicks in brooders, who have tried the two systems, find! 

 that they get better results by dry feeding — that is, they 

 find that system easier to apply. It is a simpler system. 

 Possibly the best results in individual growth or produc- 

 tion, when dry feeding is practiced, are not, taking one 

 case with another, as good as the best results by a system! 

 that includes the use of some soft and moist grain feeds .. 

 My personal opinion is that they are not, but the question 

 is one not easily demonstrated conclusively, and therefore 

 better considered an open question. But it seems quite 

 plain that in the majority of cases losses of chicks have 

 been much smaller by the dry feed method. As every lost 

 chick has to be paid for out of the price received for those 

 grown to marketable age before one begins to figure net 

 proceeds, it is clear that the system giving the least losses, 

 will, in many cases, be the more satisfactory system, and 



