li)'21.] Notes on Poultry Keeping. 969 



of badly fed birds. Poultry will not give a satisfactory return 

 unless their food is sufficient and of a suitable nature, and is 

 also both varied and palatable. 



Poultry require (I) grain, whole or in the form of meals or 

 offals; (II) animal food; (III) green food. 



Grain. — Oats and maize are among the most suitable grains 

 for poultry under existing food conditions. The former should 

 be of good quality, as light oats are very wasteful. ^laize must 

 be used in moderation; it is better cracked; and it is a most 

 valuable food in wet and cold weather when the birds are 

 exposed. 



Meals, Offals, ti'c. — Bran and middHngs are the staple con- 

 stituents of dry and wet mashes respectively, and may form 

 up to 50 per cent, by weight of the mash. Sussex ground 

 oats, maize meal, barley meal and palm kernel meal may be 

 used in proportions not exceeding 25 per cent, by weight of 

 the mash. Clover meal of good quality forms a useful substi- 

 tute if the supply of green food is insufficient, but it is difficult 

 to obtain. 



Animal Food. — As a rule poultry upon free range \^~ill find 

 abundant insect life between March and November. During 

 the remaining months, and at all seasons w^hen not available 

 from natural sources, a moderate proportion of animal food 

 .should be provided. Lack of animal food frequently accounts 

 for the absence of eggs from well-developed pullets. 



Fresh horse-flesh, meat offals or blood are all of the greatest 

 value if procurable easily, cheaply and regularly, but they 

 should be used in limited quantities. Meat meal and fish 

 meal are the most convenient forms of animal food for the 

 majority of poultry keepers, and are generally more readily 

 obtained. They may be given in amounts not exceeding 

 J oz. per bird daily mixed with all meals. 



Green Food. — A regular and plentiful supply of fresh 

 vegetable food should be given to birds on limited range. 

 Upon free range there is generally sufficient for their needs, 

 except during the winter months, when waste from the 

 garden, or roots, swedes or mangolds should be supplied. 



Preparatioji of Wet Mash. — Meals (including fish and meat 

 meals) should be first scalded with the liquid in which 

 vegetables have been cooked and then allowed to stand for a 

 few^ minutes. Vegetables and cooked meat should be pulped 

 or finely chopped before being added to the mash. The 



