16 BULLETIN 561, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
4, 11, 6, and 6. In 1914: 10, 10, 10, 8, 8, 11, 8, 6, 8, 6, 2, 4, and 8. 
In 1915: 6, 4, 5, 3, 7, 4, 4, 5, 4, 3, 7, 7, and 5. Barley was fed in 
this grain mixture (see Table 1). 
Pens 5 and 6 were started in January at about the same time and 
their egg yields the first year were practically equal, but the hens in 
Pen 6 consumed 6 pounds more of feed per hen, at an additional cost 
of 17 cents, while it took 0.76 pounds more of feed to produce a 
dozen eggs, costing 1.94 cents more per dozen. The hens in Pen 6 
during their second year ate 10 pounds more of feed than those in 
Pen 5, costing 17 cents more per hen, while it took 2 pounds more of 
feed to produce a dozen eggs, costing 3.4 cents more per dozen. 
In the third year these two pens produced about the same number of 
eggs, but Pen 5 ate 14 pounds less of grain per hen. Pen 5 produced 
eggs 2.8 cents per dozen cheaper that year than Pen 6, and the profit 
per hen over feed cost was 24 cents greater. Pen 6 had the advantage 
of being on free range, while Pen 5 was confined to yards, and the 
latter pen contained a much larger number of broody hens than 
Pen 6. This ration and method of feeding kept the hens too fat 
(Pen 6), as shown in Table 10. The hens ate the barley freely, and 
this grain appears to be a good feed to use if cheaper than wheat or 
to add variety to the ration. Plowever, the comparative value of 
barley and wheat is not in any way determined by this experiment. 
This ration and method of feeding appears to be less desirable 
than any other in which beef scrap was used. The hens in Pen 6 
ate more grain than any other pen, had the highest feed cost, pro- 
duced eggs at the greatest cost per dozen compared with the other 
pens started at the same time, and were overfat. Regulating the 
proportions of mash and scratch grains to about equal parts of each 
keeps the fowls in better condition than where only a small pro- 
portion of mash is fed. Mortality does not appear to be materially 
influenced by the relative proportions of scratch grains and mash in 
the ration, if the percentage of beef scrap is not materially changed. 
A ration including a mash containing beef scrap, or with the beef 
scrap fed separately, makes a cheaper and better ration than one 
without the mash, even though the beef scrap is supplied. 
FREE RANGE COMPARED WITH LARGE YARDS. 
All pens except Xos. 3, 5, and 7 had free range, while these pens 
were confined to large yards (see Table 1). However, other changes 
besides the range enter into a comparison of these pens with the range 
pens, making it hard to draw definite conclusions, but the evidence 
points strongly to better egg yield and other results on free range, 
especially with Leghorns. The greatest difference due perhaps to 
free range is noted in Pen 8, in which during their first year 36 more 
eggs per hen were laid than in Pen 7. while in their second year the 
