THE FEEDS 353 



in sacks which have been sprayed thoroughly with the for- 

 malin mixture each time they are used." 



When the top sprouts are two or tliree inches long, the 

 root sprouts will be found to have become closely inter- 

 woven so that the whole tray of oats may be picked u]) like 

 a rug and thrown over the shoulder. Tear off as much for 

 the birds as they will entirely clean up in twenty minutes 

 to half an hour. Bartlett^ states that "sprouted oats at the 

 l)roper stage to feed will carry about 77 i)cr cent of water, 

 2.S per cent protein, 3 per cent crude fiber, 1.3 per cent fat, 

 and ll'i per cent nitrogen-free extract. There is an actual 

 loss of dry matter in sprouting oats and the only advantage 

 of the process is to produce a succulent green food at times 

 when grass or other green foods are not a\'ailablc." It 

 should be added that green sprouted oats undoubtedly 

 supply both the fat and water solubles 



Turnips and Rutabagas. — While these are a good feed, they 

 are not as good a source of succulence as mangels, because 

 they do not yield so highly per acre, are poorer keepers, and 

 if fed in excess may give a strong taste to the eggs. Also, 

 cooking is necessary to make them palatable. They are 

 useful, however, to feed in the fall, if enough mangels are not 

 obtainable to last the entire winter. 



Mineral Constituents. — Eight and six-tenths per cent of the 

 dry matter of the fowl and 35.6 per cent of the dry matter 

 of the whole egg are ash, or mineral matter. It can therefore 

 be readily seen that it is necessary to supply mineral matter 

 in a form that may be assimilated by the fowl, for the rapid 

 ui)building of the bones in the growing chick and the for- 

 mation of shell on eggs. It is also necessary that mineral 

 matter in a hard form not easily assimilable be furnished for 

 the purpose of crushing and grinding the feed in the gizzard 

 so that digestive juices may act upon it with ease. 



Bnne {Granulated). — The phosphate of lime is as desirable 

 for the formation of bone in growing chicks as the carbonate 

 of lime is in the ration of the laying hen for the formation of 

 the egg shell. 



1 California Bulletin No. lC-1. 



