3G4 POULTRY FHODUCTJON 



Tliis would feed from eight hundred to a thousand chicks of 

 tliis age." 



In practice it is not always practicable to varj' the ration 

 from week to week with the exactitude pointed out in the 

 standard. The needs of the chick govern its appetite very 

 largely, and if ottered a variety of feeds it may be depended on 

 to balance its own ration with fair accuracy. 



Laying Standard. — "It is a physiological axiom that protein 

 is a cell stimulant."' It is to be expected therefore that grow- 

 ing chicks and laying hens need considerably more digestible 

 protein than the minimum that will barely maintain them. 

 Because of the large amount of ash required for the manu- 

 facture of egg shell, the proportion of ash is also noticeably 

 increaseil. The amounts and proportions of the nutrients for 

 hens in full laying as computed by W. P. AVheeler- are gi\'en 

 in Table XLI: 



Table XLI. — Digestible Nutrients Requiued per Day for Each 

 100 Pounds Live Weight of Hens in Full Latino. 



Total dry Carbohy- 



matter. Ash. Protein. drates. Fat. Nutritive 



Pounds, Pounds, Pounds. Pounds, Pounds, ratio 



Hens of 5 to 8 pouriiJs 



weight . 3,30 .20 0.6.5 2.25 .20 1 to 4 , 2 



Hens of 3 to 5 pounds 



weight 5,50 ,30 1,00 3,75 .35 lto4.6 



W. P. Wheeler^ has to say concerning these standards: 

 " These standards are not absolute and inflexible rules, for 

 such would not be justified by a thousand times the number 

 of available data. They supply a starting point and do not 

 obviate the use of judgment. Because it is found convenient 

 on account of ditt'erent recjuirements and capabilities to 

 divide hens into two groups, it should not be presumed that 

 a hen just under five pounds in weight must always have 

 one ration, or a hen just over fi\'e pounds must always have 

 the other." 



The following stated ration is given as an illustration of 

 one which would supply the nutrients called for in the 



' Henry ami Muni..,i)n. Feeds and I-eedint;, 



^ Jordan's Feeding of Animals. J Ibid. 



