Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1917 — Laying Hens Require Well-Balanced Ration. [ARTICLE]

Laying Hens Require Well-Balanced Ration.

Feeders of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs have claimed for years that these animals Snust be fed a“balanced ration.” Special attention has been given to balance rations for dairy Cows. By this is meant that one food constituent should not be fed In excess. while another is lacking for the upkeep of the animal’s body. The protein must, be in a certain proportion to the sugars, starches and fat in the food. Now the hen comes in for her share in this scientific feeding. Ten times as many eggs were produced by heris fed a well-balanced ration as by those given only corn, wheat and oats in an experiment conducted by the Ohio Experiment Star tion. The balanced ration consistedof three parts by weight of corti and one part of wheat fed twice daily In the litter, and a mash mixture of two parts meat scrap added to tWo parts ground corn and one part bran fed in self-feeding hoppers.--^—=-£-- -—— The 21 Barred Plymouth Rock pul lets in each lot received the same house space and treatment except for the difference in feed. The test period lasted for 140 days. The hens given the balanced ration ato more feed, which cost about. 60 percent more than the ration of corn, wheat and oats. However, they gain *d more 4n weight and produced ten tildes as many eggs, making a net profit while the other lot was kept at ■ rear —“T"