RATIONS AND METHODS OF FEEDING 355 



buttermilk as soon as it comes from the churn. This causes 

 the whey to come to the top and an outlet, two-thirds from the 

 top of the tank, lets two-thirds of the water out. This gives a 

 concentrated buttermilk. Care is used to not get it too warm, 

 as the concentrated buttermilk will have a rubber appearance 

 and the whey will be hard to digest. 



One gallon of concentrated buttermilk represents the solids 

 of 3 gallons of churned buttermilk, so that when ready to use 

 2 gallons of water is added to 1 gallon of the concentrated 

 product; this will give an equivalent to 3 gallons of churned 

 buttermilk. 



Another excellent fattening ration for adult hens consists of 

 the following: 



Cornmeal 24 pounds. 



Wheat middlings 6 " 



Ground oats 4 " 



Nutritive ratio, 1 : 8.0. 



In fattening or finishing work with mature hens the 

 Plymouth Rock, Wyandottes, and Rhode Island Reds can be 

 fattened or finished at less cost per pound gain than the Medi- 

 terranean breeds, as the Leghoras. 



Individual birds of the same breed vary in the amount of fat 

 or gain in weight made. 



Many are having excellent results in finishing old hens and 

 cock birds with a ration consisting of equal parts ground corn 

 and red dog flour, mixed with enough buttermilk to make the 

 consistency of batter. 



It is said by some investigators that wheat flour is more 

 economical than oatmeal. 



The following is a good fleshing ration : 



Ground corn 75 pounds. 



Distillers' grain _^ " 



Total 100 pounds. 



Buttermilk .150 " 



The birds are given what they will clean up in twenty 

 minutes and are fed three times a day. 



The distiller's grain furnishes the essential fundamental 

 nitrogen complexes required to obtain the greatest amount of 

 gain from the ration in the shortest space of time. 



