196 



COMMERCIAL POULTRY RAISING 



cause of this palatability ; but wheat need not be depended upon 

 as a mainstay of the diet. Wheat is a better growing feed than 

 a fattening feed, hence it is valuable in rearing young stock. It 

 has been found that wheat gives a lighter color to the yolks of 

 eggs and to fat, and according to many packers, it imparts a 

 redder color to the flesh, the lean meat, than does corn. 



Table XII. — Feeding Rations for Laying Hens Recommended by 



Poultry Department, Cornell University 



Whole-Grain Mixture Fed Morning and Afternoon in Litter 



By Weight, Winter By Measube.IWinter By Weight, Summer By Measure, Summer 



60 lbs. wheat 

 60 lbs. corn 

 30 lbs. oats 

 30 lbs. buckwheat 



32 qts. wheat 

 36 qts. corn 

 30 qts. oats 

 20 qts. buckwheat 



60 lbs. wheat 

 60 lbs. corn 

 30 lbs. oats 



32 qts. wheat 

 36 qts. corn 

 30 qts. oats 



Dry Mash Fed in a Hopper, Open Afternoons Only 



By Weight, Winter and Summer 



By Measure, Winter and Summer 



60 lbs. corn meal 

 60 lbs. wheat middlings 

 30 lbs. wheat bran 

 10 lbs. alfalfa meal 

 10 lbs. oil meal 

 50 lbs. beef scrap 

 I lb. salt 



57 qts. corn meal 

 71 qts. wheat middlings 

 57 qts. wheat bran 

 20 qts. alfalfa meal 



8 qts. oil meal 

 43 qts. beef scrap 

 Yz qt. salt 



"The fowls should eat about one- half as much mash by weight as whole 

 gi'ain. Regulate the proportion of grain and ground feed by giving a light 

 feeding of grain in the morning and about all they will consume at the after- 

 noon feeding (in time to find grain before dark). In the case of pullets or 

 fowls in heEtvy laying, restrict both night and morning feeding to induce 

 heavy eating of dry mash, especially in the case of hens. This ration should 

 be supplemented with beets, cabbage, sprouted oats, . green clover, or other 

 succulent feed, unless running on grass-covered range. Grit, cracked oyster 

 shell, and charcoal should be accessible at all times. Green feed should not 

 be fed in a frozen condition. All feed and litter used should be strictly sweet, 

 clean, and free from mustiness, mold, or decay. Serious losses frequently 

 occur from disease, due to the fowls taking into their bodies, through their 

 intestinal tract or lungs, the spores of molds." 



No Need for Best Wheat. — It is a mistake to assume that the 

 best grades of milling wheat are the best for poultry. Plump 



