The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1915-04-15
Most pouItrymen use ground grain, or
mash, mixtures In the ration supplied to
their chicks and adult fowls. But there h
. division Of opinion regarding the best
both sides Of the case Is given In the fol-
lowing contribution:
BY PROFESSOR FREDERIC H. STONE
BURN.

fed to poultry. In practice, this Is
fed whole, cracked or ground. In the lat
ter form 1t may be whole grain ground
to the required degree OF f%ineness, as
cornmeal or ground oats, or only certain
gluten, etc.
1t is quite probable that during the
early days of the poultry industry in this
country, the grain was commonly fed
whole. Later, as the milling industry de-
Yeloped and byproducts became available,
the latter were mixed with table scraps
and other waste, and fed to the birds. Still
later, special mixtures of ground mate
rails, were made and mash-feeding be-
came general. Today, one will scarcely
find a flock Of any considerable size
which does not receive a meal of ground
stuff virtually every day.
Advantages Of Ground Grains.
There are many very good reasons for
the use of mash mixtures.
First, finely ground material is prob
ably digested more rapidly. 1t is quite
possible that 1t is not more completely
digested and assimilated than whole
grain, because nature has provided our
domestic fowls with a wonderful appara-
tus for grinding their food, and little, II
any, passes unchanged through the or
gans of digestion. But laying hens and
rapidly growing chicks require a great
amount of nutriment SO the rate of dlges-
ton Is very important. If much of the
slow work Of grinding is done by machin-
cry considerable time is saved.
Mash feeding is economical. The vari-
GUS byproducts of grain, as bran, gluten
meal, middlings, ETC., may usually be pur-
chased at a lower price than the whole
grains from which they are made In most
cases, too, these byproducts are richer In
the expensive nutrients than are the whole
grains.
Mash mixtures may also be used as
carriers for other materials, as table
scraps, meat trimmings, vegetables and
fruit waste, skim milk, cut clover, etc.
When properly made, the mash is
bulky, distends the digestive organs and
overcomes the danger Of a concentrated
ration.
The fowls enjoy a good mash, especially
when 1t is fed moist.
A carefully compounded mash almost
Invariably increases the egg yield as COM
pared with that secured from an exclusive
whole or cracked grain ration.
In the case Of growing chicks there is
no doubt that the mash induces more
rapid growth.
For the above very good reasons the
utility poultryman, the one who is look
ing for maximum financial returns, should
certainly adopt this method of feeding,
especially for his stock which produces
market eggs. There are some who hold
that exclusive whole-grain feeding is de-
sirable for breeding birds, claiming that
better Matching eggs result. Exhibitors
of certain breeds of poultry, in which
hard, close featherlng is essential, are also
partial to the feeding of whole and
cracked grains entirely. But these are ex-
ceptions.
Mixing the Mash.
In making up the mash mixture, one
Is influenced by several factors. As a
matter Of economy, the lowest priced
suitable materials are used. As feed
prices vary in different sections, one
should study his local markets and buy
to best advantage.
The mixture should be palatable to
the fowls In order to insure heavy con-
sumption. 1t should be compounded as
to be bulky, not highly concentrated or
composed entirely Of finely ground mate
rails, as flour or middlings.
There are a number of standard mash
mixtures which have been thoroughly
tested and found entirely satisfactory un-
der a wide range Of conditions, and some
Of these appear below. 1t will be noted
that these do not vary greatly in compost
ton, but contain virtually the anne ma
t%erials, though In slightly different guam
titles.
The mash which has been used con-
sistently in all the North American laying
competitions and which has become ex-
tremely popular as a result of the remark
able results obtained In these events, is
made up as follows:
Pounds.
wheat bran. wv
LOTnlntdl. lUu
Gluten feed. 100
Ground oats.
Nbao Z p,iJIIinuc IL