180 



COMMERCIAL POULTRY RAISING 



Place for Mixing. — If the poultry feeds are mixed on the farm, 

 it will be necessary to provide a suitable place for this work. It 

 is no small task to mix the dry mash mixture for several thousand 

 birds, or even one thousand hens. The mixing will probably be 

 done in lots of from five hundred to a thousand pounds, maybe in 

 ton batches. 



How to Mix. — The best place for this work is the feed room 



floor, consequently it 

 should be tight, con- 

 structed of tongue 

 and grooved boards, 

 and smooth, so as to 

 offer no obstructions 

 to the use of shovels 

 or scoops. Suppos- 

 ing that the feed is 

 piled up around the 

 walls of the room, 

 the most convenient 

 way to proceed with 

 the mixing is to 

 empty the required 

 number of bags in a 

 pile. Begin with the 

 ingredient having 

 the greatest bulk, 

 such as bran or alfal- 

 fa; dump it, spread 

 it out a bit, and then 

 add the other ingre- 

 dients, reserving the most concentrated feed, such as beef scrap, 

 until last. When the ingredients are all heaped in a pile, turn 

 the mass over with a broadcasting motion of the shovel or scoop, 

 repeating the operation two or three times, or until the mash is 

 unifofmly mixed. 



If two men do the mixing, one man should rake the mass back 



Fig. 124. 



(.Courtesy Million Egg Farm) 



-Combination automatic feeder, grit and 

 shell box. 



