CHAPTER VIII. 



THE FEEDS. 



CLASSIFICATION OF FEEDING STUFFS. 



For convenience, poultry feedstuffs may be classified 

 according to the four divisions of a ration, which are grain, 

 green feed, mash, and mineral feed, into grains, succulence, 

 mash constituents, and mineral constituents. 



The Grains. — ^While chickens are omnivorous feeders they 

 are primarily granivorous, or grain eaters. As Jaffa^ points 

 out, rations for chickens are properly built up by selecting 

 such grains as are available and reasonable in price, and sup- 

 plementing them with the mash, mineral ingredients, and 

 succulence necessary to the needs of the fowl. 



In experiments carried on at the Petaluma (California) 

 Poultry Station with barley, wheat, and corn, it was found 

 that as far as egg production alone was concerned, one grain 

 was just as valuable as another, provided it was properly 

 supplemented. This allows a choice between grains on the 

 basis of their price. 



Grains and their products, which make up the majority of 

 poultry feeds, are classed among the concentrates for the 

 larger animals. They are usually sufficiently bulky to supply 

 the needs of poultry in this particular, and roughage, save 

 when it is fed for succulence, in its green 'form, has small 

 place in the poultry ration. 



Barley. — This grain contains less fat, fiber, and ash than 

 oats, but more protein and carbohydrates. It does not rank 

 as high as wheat in digestible protein and contains more 

 fiber. It is not as palatable a feed as corn, wheat, or oats, 

 but is a good one to add to a ration by way of variety. 



' California Bulletin No. 164. 



(331) 



