FEEDING POULTRY 347 
in each succeeding generation by constantly breeding only from 
the more vigorous and productive. Although the hen’s laying 
capacity cannot be increased, it can be developed to the fullest 
degree by providing favorable environmental conditions as feeding, 
housing, yarding, etc. 
Animal Feeds.—Animal feed of one kind or another has been 
an essential part of the diet of fowls as far back as history extends. 
A fair proportion of the wild fowl’s diet consists of insects, worms 
and bugs of various kinds. The craving for animal feed of some 
sort as a part of their diet was natural to the wild ancestors of our 
present domestic fowls, for nature modeled them so that they 
should readily catch and utilize such materials as feed and instilled 
into their being an appetite for animal feed as a part of the daily 
ration. 
This appetite for meat feeds remains with our domestic fowls, 
even though they have been under domestication for a long period 
of time. In fact ever since man first began to use poultry for 
utilitarian purposes, the value of animal products as an essential 
part of their ration has been recognized. Ten per cent of the 
total ration or from twenty to twenty-five per cent of the mash is 
generally recommended as being the proper proportion of such 
animal feed as dried meat scrap or fish scrap. However, the 
writer’s experience is that where high-protein vegetable feeds are 
used in the ration as a partial substitute for the more expensive 
animal protein feed, less than this amount of commercial meat 
feed can be advantageously fed. Since animal feeds are the most 
costly materials used in a poultry ration, the cost of the ration and 
therefore the cost of the product could be reduced if a less expensive 
vegetable substitute were used for a part of the animal feed. 
' Buttermilk and skim milk, which are the usual forms of milk 
used, have proved in a great many tests to be two of the best animal 
feeds for poultry when properly fed. Since it is difficult to feed 
skim milk always sweet, and as it is undesirable to feed it some- 
times sweet and sometimes sour, a sour condition is the most satis- 
factory way in which to feed it. With young stock until they are 
over half-grown, it should not be fed too freely as they are apt to 
drink too much and contract indigestion or fermentation of the crop. 
Meat scrap and fish scrap are the commercial forms of animal 
feed most widely used for poultry feeding. These are slaughter- 
house and fish-cannery by-products that have been cooked, dried 
and reduced to a finely ground condition. A good grade of com- 
