PRACTICAL FEEDING OF POULTRY 



Oats and barley on account of their hulls and higher 

 fiber content are not as good as corn or wheat. Oats are 

 usually better relished by fowls than is barley, especially 

 if a good grade of heavy oats is available. 



Rye is not well relished by fowls and its use is not 

 advised except in limited quantities in sections where it is 

 relatively low in price. Wheat screening or slightly 

 damaged feeds sometimes may be bought to advantage, 

 their value depending entirely upon their quality and con- 

 dition, but as a rule only sound grain in good condition 

 should be fed to poultry and mouldy grains should never 

 be used. 



BALANCED RATIONS 



A properly balanced egg-laying ration is a combination 

 of feeds which furnish just the necessary amount of 

 nutrients (protein, nitrogen-free extract, and fat) to pro- 

 duce the highest egg yield which is economical. Protein 

 is a nitrogenous nutrient which supplies material for body 

 structure, while nitrogen-free extract consists of the 

 starches and sugars, and supplies heat, energy, and fat. 

 Feeds used primarily to supply protein are meat scraps, 

 fish meal, milk products, and cottonseed meal. Feeds 

 especially high in nitrogen-free extract are corn, wheat, 

 oats, and their by-products, 



THE NUTRITIVE RATIO 



A good egg-laying ration should include ( i ) a scratch 

 mixture and (2) a mash composed of palatable feeds 



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