4 
Farmers’ Bulletin 1105. 
have some ventilation to keep the air thoroughly dry in the house, 
both day and night. Ventilation is controlled by regulating the win- 
dows or muslin curtains in the front of the house according to the 
weather conditions. 
FEEDING THE HENS. 
Feeding hens is one of the most important factors in producing 
eggs. Properly balanced palatable feeds are necessary to get good 
egg production. Corn, wheat, and oats are the principal grains fed 
to poultry and make what is called the scratch mixture. In addition 
to the scratch mixture the hens should be fed a mixture of ground 
grains, mill products, and meat scrap or milk, which constitute a 
Fig. 1 . — Interior of pen showing one roost raised to clean dropping board. Nests contain clean straw and 
floor is covered with clean litter. The feed trough is used for a moist mash. 
mash. Corn meal, wheat bran, wheat middlings, ground oats, and 
meat scrap form the basis of a good mash, to which other products 
may be added if available at a low price. Use at least two grains 
in the scratch mixture, selecting those grown at home or produced 
locally, and supplement these with corn meal, mill feeds, and meat 
scrap or waste milk. The club member who keeps only a few hens 
and does not live on a farm or produce any grains will often find it 
advantageous to buy the prepared scratch mixtures and mashes. 
EGG-LAYING RATIONS. 
The following rations have been used with good results on the 
Government experiment farm at Beltsville, Md.: 
