10 A REVOLUTION IN EGG PRODUCTION 



disturbed, they will not lay as well as if they feel contented 

 and satisfied. In some subtle or mysterious manner, it will 

 be found that poultry can mentally size up, and figure out, 

 their surroundings to the profit or loss of their owners. 



Some poultrymen, by their manner or methods, are never 

 able to give their birds a satisfied and "comfy" feeling, while 

 others, with apparently less effort, are quite at home among 

 their birds, and the birds are quite at home with them. 



Balancing the Ration 



To the poultryman keeping only a few birds, it is some- 

 times quite a problem to secure a variety of separate grains 

 to fit the needs of his flocks. "Variety is the spice of life" and 

 laying hens take no exception to the proof of this saying. 



The poultry business has made such strides in the past 

 few years, that there are several brands of poultry feeds put 

 up in whole and ground grains in all parts of the country. 

 These mixtures are mainly scientifically mixed in proper pro- 

 portions for a theoretically balanced ration ; and they cost no 

 more, if as much, as the same ingredients can be secured for, 

 separately, by anyone desiring to mix them himself. 



It is an open question, in the present condition of feed 

 supplies, whether even the larger poultrymen cannot save 

 time and money by purchasing their feeds already mixed, for 

 the bulk of their feeding. 



Whether mixed feeds or separate grains or meals are 

 purchased, the fowls themselves will balance their own rations, 

 to a great extent, if given an opportunit)^ to do so. 



They will do this by choosing the grains they require out 

 of the mixed grains, and leaving the others untouched, even 

 to the extent of going hungry sometimes, rather than eat 

 such grains as they do not require or fancy. 



If grains are fed separately, we therefore may often be 

 forcing the fowls to either eat what they do not desire or 

 require, or go hungry; and we may, so to speak, be forcing 

 our judgment of what is a balanced ration upon the birds. 



No one variety of grain contains the necessarv food ele- 

 ments in the right proportions for our purpose. If poultrv 

 are forced to sustain themselves on a restricted diet, they 

 will have to pass through their systems much useless material 



