Feeding 93 



Chicks or hens may eat too much corn at first, when the 

 droppings are very watery, or they have indigestion and it 

 may result seriously. Do not waste time trying to find 

 something to take the place of corn and corn-meal, and do 

 not waste time trying to feed the mash without corn-meal. 



Good corn-meal is worth twice the price you are paying 

 for it, but it only costs $1.00 or so more per ton. Baby chicks 

 and all poultry are very fond of corn, but they are very 

 poor judges of the quality you feed them, and will eat it 

 regardless of how good it is. If it is good it is very good 

 for them, but if it is bad it often kills them. 



The more I feed poultry the more I am convinced that 

 they know more about feeding themselves than I do. The 

 only thing is that, when they are confined, and the grains 

 we give them are of poor quality it is hard to understand 

 their needs. The chick will leave other grains and eat corn, 

 but it will leave corn instantly and fight for an angle worm. 

 I have raised 97% of chicks that grew very fast on Rations 

 Nos. 12 and 13, but you can lose them very rapidly on these 

 rations with a poor grade of corn-meal and with some mill- 

 feeds. 



Hens should be given a limited amount of grain; when fed 

 all the grain they can eat, they are apt to over-eat to such 

 an extent that some of the grain will sour before digesting. 

 Chicks do the same thing. This can be avoided by feeding 

 plenty of mash first and then following with all the grain 

 they can eat. The grain can then be left before them at 

 all times without danger. If the hens have very watery 

 droppings these can be stopped by using Ration No. 11, 

 after which a heavier ration should be used. 



If you will find out what is the best grade of corn (the 

 hard, large, fully matured yellow grains, with little white 

 on the ends, not the little round undeveloped grains that 



