The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-05
OF WET AND DRY
 MASH FEEDING FOR POULTRY
War Times Demand That We Make the Most of Table Scraps-Dry Ground d Grains Keep Sweet Until Every Particle Is Con- stunned
By CHA LES L. oPpERMAN

By CHA LES L. OPPERMAN
 Poultry husbandman, Maryland Agri-
 cultural Experiment Station
 The entrance of the United States into the world war has brought to our attention, as nothing else could the real need of an increased food supply Every poultryman should put his shoulder to the wheel and fight for greater production Correct feeding is one of the most important issues to- ward an increased yield. s There are two general systems of feeding ground grains, commonly known as the wet and "dry' sys- tems. The former has been in use since the early days of the industry, while the latter has only come into general practice during the last dec ade. There are advantages and disad- vantages to both systems, and the true value of each can only be proven by actual practice. AS in the case of other systems in poultrykeeping, the particu- lar method followed is of minor impor- tance, since the man or woman back of the feed pail controls. to large ex- tent, the failure or success of the method
 Advantages of the Wet Mash
 The general practice followed in the wet system Is to give moist mash, either cooked or raw. at one of the regular feeding periods each day, Many feeders give 1t for the morning feed, yet there has always been more or less of controversy as to the best time the moist mash should be fed. A number of breeders prefer the noon hour. and still others give 1t for the last feed at night. Results tend to show that the time the mash is fed has very little influence on the egg yield or the health of the hens Thus the question resolves itself into which part of the day is most convenient for the feeder When moist mash feed- ing is followed the green or succu- lent food is either incorporated in the mash or fed separately, as in the case of dry mash feeding. Either method IS entirely satisfactory.
 The advantages of the wet system are first that all waste products from the kitchen, such as vegetable parings, scraps of meat stale bread, sour milk, and so on, can be cooked up in an ap- petizing soup and mixed with the ground grains. Thus clean waste. in stead of being consigned to the garb- age can, is utilized for the produc- tion of meat and eggs. This means the elimination of waste and the eco homie use of every particle or 1000. In the present food crisis such plan would seem well adapted to the subuf- ban flock. More will be said along this line later. Another advantage in feed- aSl, 111ni varied from day to day with very lit He trouble. Variety in the feed is greatly relished by the hens Any thing that tends to make the feea more palatable increases productlop. Again, since large quantities or rlch waste food are available. it can be diluted with bran. cut clover, or grass clippings and thus made more suit able for the needs of the flock
 The main disadvantages of feeding moist mash are the danger Of undef- feeding and the possibility of the mix ture souring before the birds clean IL m The experienced feeder will nave little trouble of this kind. If plenty of trough room is not provided the strongest birds get a full feed and the weaker ones little or nothing. Again, the entire flock may be un- derfed until the feeder gains suffi- cient experience to know what his
 
 inexperienced feeders will be apt to give 100 much mash and neglect to remove 1t after the birds have filled up This generally results in their eating sour mash, with the consequent digestive disorders. Mash that is not consumed in 30 minutes shoulu pc re- moved at once.
 Virtues of the Dry System
 The method of dry mash feeding Tn common use today is to supply a definite quantity of the whole grains once or twice daily, and maintain a supply of e ground grains where the birds can help themselves at all times. Another method calls for a light feeding of grain in the morning, dry mash in troughs at noon. and all the whole grain the birds will eat at night Still a third method con sists in supplying both grains and mash in hoppers to which the birds have ac- cess during various periods of the day In connection with the different meth ods of dry mash feeding the green food is given separately in the form of cab hage. beets, sprouted oats, clover and lawn clippings.
 The advantages of dry mash feeding are apparent to every one who under stands the handling of poultry. Where definite quantity of gram is given daily and the birds have free access to the mash at all times, it is absolutely impos- sible for the attendant to overfeed or underfeed. This makes the system espe- cially valuable to beginners Several hundred pounds of mash can be mixed on stormy days and stored for future use. The labor of feeding the flock is reduced to a minimum, since the hop pers can be filled at odd times and made large enough to hold several days sup ply If the mash hopper is located so that the contents will keep dry it cannot sour and cause digestive disorders. There is never any crowding for the feed as the birds are at liberty to help themselves at all times If the defi- nite quantity of whole grains Is fed morning and evening the poultrykeeper can be absent without worry as to whether the birds have been fed prop erly. There are never any waste or