The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-11-15

hens, in a three-year feeding test re- gently reported by poultrymen of the United States department of agriculture. These were the cost figures of feed at the time of the experiment, which began in 1912, and must be corrected to present prices Tables of rations and costs presented in the report enable poultry men to make these corrections when com pared to 1917 prices. In bulletin 561 of the department Feed Cost of Egg Pro- duction," the specialists describe in de- tail this test, which was undertaken 10 compare the cost of various rations fed under general farm conditions. Much in- formation relating to feeding under the various conditions also was learned in the experiment.
 Starting with six pens of 30 bullets each, the test was enlarged to include Is pens containing 366 fowls. Most of the pens were made up of 30 standard bred pull let's, bred and reared under the same con- ditions and selected for vigor, stanoard shape. and color. Some flocks consisted of fowls of one breed, while others con- tained more than one kind of pure bred fowls of the general purpose type. Pens or cross-bred bullets also were used.
 With the exception of three floeks which were confined to good sized yards, all the fowls were allowed free range over several acres of rough land. De-
 
 used the weight of the eggs, and careful observations were made of the conditions which affect egg production, such as mott ing and broodiness. The test was con- ducted on the experiment farm of the bureau of animal industry at Beltsville, Md. Summarizing the results of the tests, the specialists draw these conclusions:
 The average egg yield for the first lay ing year in all pens was 131 eggs, and the highest pen average yield was 1895 eggs. In the second year the average egg yield of all pens was 92.7 eggs, which decreased to 78.2 eggs in the third lay ing year.
 The average value of eggs over feed cost the first laying year was Ss.56 per hen, falling to $1.41 the second year, and to $079 the third year The highest average value in any pen was s3.41.
 The general purpose fowls consumed annually 72 pounds of feed, which cost sl.13 while Leghorns ate $ pounds which cost S7 cents
 Good results were obtained with ra- tions, both with and without oats. The use of this grain added variety to the ration without increasing the cost.
 Fowls not fed any beef scrap or other animal protein laid only 90 eggs during their bullet year compared with 137 eggs rom the beef-serap pens, and S4 compared with S3 in their second year. The eggs of the no-beef-scrap pens cost about 2.2 cents per dozen more to produce the first laying year, but these costs were about equal during the second year. The fowls not led beef scrap laid very poor " in winter, thus materially reducing the value of their eggs.
 Cottonseed meal used in place of beef scrap as ah high protein feed in the ration produced brown or greenish spots on the yoiks of the eggs. especially in warm weather, making considerable propor- ton of them unfit for market. Eggs were produced more cheaply and at a consid- erapiy greater profit on the beef-scrap ration
 flsh meal at $7 a ton less than beef scrap proved to be a good high protein feed, which can be used to advantaea to replace beef scrap The fish meal did not Tn any way affect the flavor or quail ity of the eggs.
 General purpose fowls allowed to select their own mash constituents ate a dry mash containing about 63 per cent corn meal, l9 per. cent beef scrap per cent bran, and per cent middlings. Leg horns ate mash of about 66 per cent corn meal, 26 per cent beef scrap, and per cent each of bran and mitdlings No better results wre obtained by this meth cd of feeding than where the ground grams were mixed together in mash
 Good mashes, as indicated by these ex- periments. may be made of G6 per cent corn meal, 26 per cent beef scrap, and per cent each of bran and middlings, or pounds of corn meal and 1 pound each of bran, middlings, and beef scrap. with scratch fed in each ration of equal parts by weight of cracked corn, wheat, and oats, which is fed so that the hens receive about equal parts of scratch feed and of mash
 The Leghorns on free range gave a considerably greater egg yield than those feN n f.t, .rfxx 4ft>R-. ference was less marked in the general purpose hens.
 Sprouted oats fed as green feed to hens confined to yards cost about 10 cents Der hen asyear and cent per dozen eggs. not including any charges for labor and equipment The hens ate on an avetage in one year about Is pounds of oyster shell and or of pound of grit. which