POULTRY FEEDS AND FEEDING 



other green feed. Oats can be easily sprouted in a home- 

 made oat sprouter or commercial sprouters for this pur- 

 pose may be bought. Where an oat sprouter is used only 

 during mild weather a series of open trays will answer 

 the purpose very satisfactorily. 



Arrange a series of trays like the drawers in a cabinet, 

 using seven trays which makes a convenient number, as 

 it gives one tray of oats for each day of the week. This 

 means filling one tray of oats to soak for sprouting each 

 day. A convenient size for the trays is i8 inches square 

 which would give enough sprouted oats daily if seven 

 trays are used, for about 250 or 300 hens, feeding one 

 square inch of sprouted oats' surface per hen daily. Use 

 one-eighth inch mesh wire for the bottom of the trays if 

 the sides of the trays are made of wood and make the sides 

 two inches high. 



A more substantial tray can be made of galvanized iron 

 with holes one inch apart each way and one-eighth of an 

 inch in diameter covering the entire bottom of the tray. 

 A solid galvanized iron pan of this same size should be 

 placed in the bottom of the sprouter to catch all the surplus 

 water which drips through the trays of oats. Have the 

 supports on which the tray slides 5 inches apart which 

 will allow 3 inches of open space between each tray. In 

 an open sprouter of this kind which does not have to be 

 boxed in, all that is necessary is the seven trays and a 

 skeleton cabinet made of strips 2 in. by 2 in. for the 

 corners, and cleats on both sides about one-half inch 

 thick and one and a half inch wide on which to slide the 



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