FEEDING PRACTICES AND APPLIANCES 379 



tion of 380 Plymouth Rock, Rhode Island Red, and Wyan- 

 dotte females for one year, when the; average egg production 

 was a trifle under 142 eggs, was 88.34 pounds of grain and 

 mash. During the same period the average consumption 

 of 330 Leghorn females whose average production was 155.5 

 eggs, was 76.8 pounds of grain and mash. 



Wet and Dry Feeding. — ^The relative merits of wetting 

 all or a part of the feed and of feeding it all dry are points 

 upon which skilled poultrymen are not agreed. The experi- 

 mental evidence at hand leans rather favorably toward 

 dry feeding (see page 380) with regard to both results and 

 labor, except under conditions hereinafter mentioned. 



Hopper-feeding Dry Mash. — One of the great advantages 

 of dry mash is that it may be hopper fed. Aside from the 

 lessening of labor there is a great advantage in the avoidance 

 of mobbing which always occurs when a wet mash is fed in a 

 tray or trough. The weaker and more timid hens are likely 

 to be abused or crowded out so that they fail to get their 

 share and frequently go hungry, while the more vigorous 

 fowls gorge themselves. Where the mash is hopper fed there 

 is opportunity for all birds to eat all they desire. At the 

 same time there is not the same likelihood of overeating 

 on the part of some individuals, found with wet-mash 

 feeding, because of the fact that the fowls prefer the whole 

 grain of the scratching ration and will eat only as much 

 of the dry mash as they need to satisfy their appetite. 

 This affords a basis of control of the amount of dry mash 

 consumed that is fully as effective as the daily measuring 

 out of the portion of the wet mash to be offered. 



Wet-mash Feeding. — ^Many poultrymen prefer moistening 

 the mash with water to feeding it dry. This practice is not 

 to be recommended except under circumstances that warrant 

 a considerable increase in labor for small and doubtful 

 increase in production. Apparently the only advantage 

 in wetting mash comes by increasing its palatability. The 

 resulting increase in production is not ordinarily commen- 

 surate with the labor involved in wetting up the feed 

 at each feeding, spreading it upon the feeding trays, and 

 cleaning the trays from time to time in warm weather. 



