138 MAKING POULTRY PAY 



exercise. At night they are given all they will eat of 

 the grain ration. Sour skimmed milk forms a daily 

 diet and would easily take the place of meat if it could 

 be obtained in sufficient quantities. As it is, every other 

 day each group of sixty fowls receives about one and 

 one-half pounds of pressed meat. Ground oyster 

 shells are continually accessible. About four and one- 

 half quarts of green food is given daily to each lot, 

 consisting of cabbage, turnips and beets in winter, 

 grass in spring and sea kale in summer. Salt is the 

 only condiment fed, stimulating commercial feeds hav- 

 ing long ago been abandoned as dangerous. Clean 

 clover hay, chopped fine and mixed with corn meal and 

 steamed, is frequently fed, but only in small quantities, 

 as it is found to be too bulky for the crop. 



fr. H. Rndd's Ration — "Aly morning feed con- 

 sists of corn meal and fine feed in equal parts, ground 

 beef and scraps, and in the winter boiled potatoes. 

 This is all mixed together with hot water, adding a 

 little salt and &gg food. This is fed as soon as the 

 fowls can see to eat, except in the longest days in sum- 

 mer. This feed is put in troughs eight feet long, eight 

 inches wide and three inches high. The ends are put 

 in so the bottom of the trough will be three inches 

 above the 'ground. This same trough is used for the 

 dry grain on stormy days, and in all winter weather. 

 At other times the grain is fed in the yards. For dry 

 grain feed, I use equal parts of whole corn, oats and 

 wheat. This grain is mixed together in a basket that 

 holds three pecks, and I always use a two-quart flour 

 scoop to deal out both wet and dry feed. This mix- 

 ture is fed twice a day, morning and night. I never 

 feed in the middle of the day or disturb the hens in 

 the least. I want them to spend all the time they want 

 in laying eggs. I used to feed at noon, but found if 



