206 COMMERCIAL POULTRY RAISING 



that we now have a valuable list of by-products, most of them 

 meals, which are available as stock foods, at a much lower cost 

 than the whole grain. 



Merits of Mash Feeding. — To-day, instead of feeding their 

 flocks exclusively on whole or broken grain, practical poultry 

 raisers feed about half grain and half meals. The grain feed, 

 which consists of a mixture of grains, such as corn, wheat and 

 oats, is termed the "scratch feed " ; the meals are mixed together 

 in certain proportions and called a "mash." This mash is fed 

 dry or moist, depending upon the object desired. Of late the 

 dry mash has gained considerable favor over the wet mash, and 

 largely because of the inconvenience in placing the wet mash be- 

 fore the birds. It must be fed at regular intervals and in specific 

 quantities, because if moist feed is allowed to stand for any length 

 of time, it will spoil in hot weather and freeze in cold weather. 

 A dry mash is always available; it can be placed before the flocks 

 in large quantities, providing the hoppers are suitable, and the 

 mash remains sweet and wholesome until consumed. 



Table XIV 

 At the Maine Experiment Station under Prof. Gowell the following quanti- 

 ties of feed were consumed per hen in one year by a flock of Barred Plymouth 

 Rocks, averaging 144 eggs each: 



Pounds 



Grain and mash 90.0 



Oyster shell 4.0 



Granulated bone 2.4 



Grit 2.0 



Charcoal 2.4 



Clover lo.o 



Forced Feeding. — Excellent results have been secured through 

 mash feeding. It is particularly valuable in fattening, and in 

 forced feeding for increased egg production. This is due to the 

 fact that meals are digested more quickly than the whole grains, 

 therefore the nourishment which they contain is more readih' 

 available for absorption. Dry mash feeding is the only method 

 by which fowls can be made to consume large quantities of food, 

 which are so essential to rapid development. 



