The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-01-11
WET OR DRY MASH
FOR POULTRY
by J. o. LINTON, Instructor in Poultry Illus.
bandry, Michigan Agricultural College

Much has been talked and written
about the ACCESSIBILITY of feeding wet
or dry mash. A great deal depends
upon the purpose OF the feed, whether
for fattening, growing chicks or for
egg production, and great deal de-
ponds upon the feeder and his facil-
ties. Either method is good under
certain conditions.
For producing fine soft quality of
meat soft wet foods may be used to
best advantage. BY wet foods are not
meant sloppy foods, which are TO be
avoided in feeding chickens, but moist.
soft as in fattening foods, or crumbly
rs in others. A very important don't
is Don't feed sloppy foods"
III case OF the growing chicks it is
often noted that during the hot sum
mer months an afternoon feed Of
crumbly mash is better relished than
the dry mash. However, it is a very
easy method of feeding to place dry
mash hoppers in or about the houses
on range and allow the birds freedom
of access. Birds brought up by either
system may produce very favorable
results, but it should be observed and
remembered that chickens should
never he changed suddenly from a
wet mash TO dry mash diet, or vice
versa, as this is apt to cause a severe
setback.
Wet mash mixed with cooked vege-
tables and served warm il conducive
TO excellent results with some feed
equipment for preparation which is
not always possessed, and also takes
considerable time each day.
When the flock is small and there
is plenty of table scraps, these fed
with mash, together of course with the
necessary grit. oyster shell and fresh
water, should make the hens lay, pro-
vided their other care is good. In
general the keeper of the small flock
who administers this kind OF treat
ment can show better egg records in
percentage than the feeder of the
large tlocks, due to the ration and the
care.
liz cold weather if wet mash is fed
and not eaten at once the remaining
parts are apt to become icy and fro
zei and considerable attention must
be given the troughs or feeding uten-
sits.
For convenience the dry mash sys-
tenn is probably best. Separate hop
pers are often used for each kind of
food, though the chicks must be edu-
Gated to this system from the start to
insure best results. A mixture is
many times made Of the different
foods and this placed in large hoppers
for use, or as is a common custom
with many. the mash is fed at q reg
ular period each day. Bran, mid
dlings, corn meal, ground oats or bar
ley, alfalfa meal, and meat in some
form, as green cut bone or CONNER
cial beef scrap. are among the most
common of these foods.
Hens learn to relish the dry foods
and cannot gorge themselves when
eating, but gain certain amount of
exercise and keep busy longer, which
in itself is an important factor in egg
production.
A system Of feeding which is prac-
ticed with much satisfaction is that
Of feeding light grain ration, if any,
in the morning. A noon feed, which
may be given between 1000 and 1900
n. NJ, consisting of a mash of equal
parts by weight of bran, middlings,
corn meal and beef scrap with little
charcoal added for toning the system,
and at night (about 300 p. m. these
cold, dark, winter days. all the grain
mixture, corn Cracked or whole) and
wheat, that will be eaten. Birds sent
to bed with full crops generally have
plenty of body warmth and noursh-
nent and get UP ready for business.
There should always be OH hand
supply of green food such as cabbage,
bcets, or sprouted oats. Clean, fresh
wafer should be supplied, and the
hoppors should contain grit and oyster
shell at all times.
The question Of wet or dry mash
may be determined greatly by the
feeder and his conditions, but either
should be done consistently.
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