104 The Truth About the Poultry Business 



acts this way. Some brans cause large white droppings. It 

 may be possible to use flour middlings in Ration No. 14, but 

 I have never tried them. 



Feed the hens having poor digestion two or three weeks 

 without meat and note results. If they lay well, leave out 

 the meat for a while, but if they do not lay and their diges- 

 tion is good add about 5% of meat and watch the droppings 

 very closely to see whether it causes bowel-trouble. If it 

 does, then leave out the meat. Usually after a short time 

 the droppings get stiff and the meat can then be gradually 

 added without causing the droppings to "break" and better 

 results will be obtained. If the droppings do not get stiff 

 enough after a couple of weeks, feed equal parts of wheat, 

 oats and corn for grain. Do not be in a hurry, because the 

 bran is binding and it is far better to make the droppings stiff 

 with bran than with oats. When everything is right hens will 

 be very hungry on this system of feeding. 



Ration Nos. 9 and 14 are the best rations given in this 

 book and I advise you to use no other. 



Feed no oat middlings with Ration No. 9 or 14, as they vary 

 considerable and sometimes cause trouble. Heavy white oats 

 (including the hulls) ground fine is what you want. You must 

 watch ground oats very carefully as they often contain a large 

 amount of wheat middlings. Get ground oats that are oats and 

 nothing else. 



If hens or chicks have bowel-trouble of any kind with Ration 

 No. 9 it will be due entirely to not using the right kind or grades 

 of grain. Use the same kind and grades of grain in Rations Nos. 

 9 and 14. Ration No. 9 is far better than Ration No. 14 or any 

 other ration in this book. The trouble that I have had with it 

 has been entirely due to not using the right kind and grades of 

 grains. Ration No. 14 is safer for chicks than No. 9, as a poor 

 grade of corn in No. 9 would cause leg weakness. 



