Connecticut western news., 1921-10-13
OUR FARMERS CORNER

Experiments Carried on at Govern ment Farms at Beltsville, Md, for Eight Years Prove that Mash of Bran, Middlings, Meat Scrap and Corn
 Meal is Best Valuable results of interest to poultrymen have been obtained by the United States Department of Agriculture in experimental 2ests at the Government poultry farm, Beltsville, Md, where different ra- tions have been fed to various groups of laying hens for a period of eight years. At this time, more han 1000 hens and bullets are used in feeding trials of this kind.
 The pens range in size from 50 70 50 hens, all the fowls being trap nestled during the period under test. During the last three years, the mash which has given the most uniform and best production has consisted of a mixture of per cent bran, per cent middlings, 26 per cent meat scrap, and 66 per cent corn nell. This mash was the result of experi- ments where the hens were allowed to select their own mash ingredients. When given free choice of these Vari- ous feeds, the fowls consumed the various ingredients in the above pro- portions. Several pens, both of Leghorns and Rhode Island Reds, of 30 hens each have averaged from 14O to 155 eggs a piece where this mash has been fed. The feeding mix ture seems to be especially adapted for Leghorns, although it has also given good results with the Reds. The Wyandottes and Plymouth Rocks are inclined to accumulate too much fat when fed this mash, and one somewhat lower in meat scrap content gives better results when fed to these two breeds.
 Larger Types Gain Weight
 The Wyandottes and Plym )uth Rocks maintained on the Beltsville farm are large, standard-sized fowls, and the tendency to take on fat tn this mash probably did not occur in the case of smaller types of Ply mouth Rocks such as commonly gre found on commercial poultry farms. Experiments conducted during the current year in which this mash was modified by the addition of 15 per cent ground oats and the reduction of the meat scrap by per cent and the corn meal by 12 per cent have not shown any advantage. The evidences are that ground oats added to the ra- tion produces no beneficial results. It pays to vary the proportion of grains in the scratch mixture from an economical standpoint according to the market price of these farm crops. At present, scratch mix ture of parts cracked corn, parts oats, and i part wheat by weight is used with this mash.
 In previous years fish meal has not proved a more profitable and orac"i- cal source of protein in the n1ash than meat scrap, but during the present year the production has 'een very good where the fish refuse has been used, and as the price of this material has decreased, larger net incomes result from it's use. Sixty per cent protein fish scrap now car be obtained for from $1 to $2 pel hundred pounds cheaper than 55 pe1 cent protein meat scrap. Innumer able varieties of fish scrap have beer fed and no harmful effects have re suited from feeding even fish scral of varied compositions, some being unusually rich in oil content. Tank age has been fed against meat scral nF n+afy1 o+ time 60 per cent protein tankage i available on the market for TO cent per 100 pounds less than 55 per cen meat scrap, conditions which justif the extensive use of tankage as
 poultry feed. Tests in which only 1 per cent of meat scrap was fed in tn mash have not resulted in as hig production with bullets as where or 25 per cent of meat scrap wa used, but with yearling hens the l per cent meat scrap has given pra3t cally as good production as the higl CT. With the heavier breeds, it
 advisable to decrease the amount ( meat scrap during the second year { such feeding tends to keep the flow in better breeding condition.
 Grain Aids Production
 The best results obtain whel about equal parts mash and scratt grains are fed. Feed considerab more scratch grain than mash in u fall and winter to bullets and '.bo
 equal parts of each during the la winter and spring, and more na
 than scratch feed during the summ
 and early fall. In order to get u fowls to consume the mash freely u
 recommended practice is to supp
 grain in small amounts during t
 morning and give a full feed
 scratch grains in the evening whe
 the hens are fed only twice dai
 During the fall and winter, fe
 about three times as much scrat
 feed in the evening as in the morni
 and about twice as much during t
 spring and summer. Where no