THE COMPOUNDING OF RATIONS 367 



such an expenditure of exercise, that there is little danger of 

 the chicks overeating of the hopper-fed grains, from the 

 stand-points of amount and proportion. Only enough will be 

 sought to satisfy the craving that is developed from the 

 necessity of balancing up the ration of insects and worms, 

 and furnishing energy for abundant exercise. 



In hopper feeding dry mash to laying fowls, the same 

 condition prevails. The hens prefer the whole or cracked 

 grains to the finely ground mash, and usually eat only as 

 much as is necessary to piece out the ration of whole grain, 

 or to satisfy the craving for some ingredient of the mash, 

 as meat scrap or salt. 



Feeding Conditions. — Rettger, Kirkpatrick and Jones^ call 

 attention to the fact that "with early hatched chicks that 

 are confined in small quarters without an opportunity for an 

 abundance of green food, fresh air and particularly exercise, 

 . . . one-half or less (of the regular proportion) of the 

 protein concentrate should be incorporated in the ration 

 when the chicks are supplied with all the milk they care to 

 consume. In short, chicks grown in small quarters instead of 

 on range, and on a 15 or 20 per cent, meat ration in combina- 

 tion with an abundance of milk are likely to be literally 

 grown off their feet, or, in other words, suffer with rickets or 

 what is ordinarily called weak legs." 



Size of Ingredients. — ^The size of each particle of the ration 

 must be such that it may be readily eaten by the fowl. 

 Poultry generally seem to prefer the larger grains. It has 

 been unquestionably proved by experiment and experience, 

 however, that hens will consume more feed and lay more 

 eggs if a part of her ration is ground for her. This is perhaps 

 owing to the fact that the alimentary tract can digest and 

 assimilate more feed than the gizzard can grind. 



It is owing to this, and the fact that protein may usually 

 be purchased more cheaply in the ground by-products of the 

 grains than in the whole grains, that the custom of feeding 

 mashes has grown up. It is possible to overdo the matter of 

 giving ground grain, thereby failing to compel enough work 



' Storrs Bulletin No. 77. 



