Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 252, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 October 1918 — CHEAPER RATIONS FOR THE HENS [ARTICLE]

CHEAPER RATIONS FOR THE HENS

(Prepared by the United States .Department of Agriculture.) Beef scraps or some other animal protein feed has been shown by a number of experiments to be essential to good and economical egg production, especially during winter. In the 18 months preceding January, 1918, the price of meat or beef scrap has Increased 100 per cent, while, in some places, it has been difficult tb secure it at all, making it advisable ,to use something in place of this feed. To find satisfactory substitutes was the object of experiments conducted by the poultry specialists of the department. Rations fob laying hens containing peanut meal, soy-bean meal and velvet-bean meal have been used with good results since the first of November on the government poultry farm. Half of the beef scrap normally fed in the mash has been replaced by these feeds, making the ration as follows: A scratch mixture of two parts cracked corn and one part oats, and a mash of nine - parts cornmeal, five parts middlings, four parts bran, two parts beef scrap, and two parts of either peanut meal, soy-bean meal, or velvet-vetch meal.- All of these parts are by Weight. A similar ration containing cottonseed meal has been fed with good results for over one year. The percentage of protein In these feeds was as follows: Beef scrap, 50 to 55; soy-bean meal, 44; cottonseed meal, 38; peanut meal, 28; and velvet-bean meal, 19. The egg yield for the first three months has been fairly good with al) of these feeds, but not quite as good as has been secured from the use of a normal amount of beef scrap. The highest egg yield was secured from the peanut meal; nearly as good results from the soy-bean meal, but only a fair egg yield from the velvet-bean meal. It would appear that all of these feeds are worthy of a trial, used with beef scrap, in sections where they are easily secured. These tests will have to be carried through a considerable period of time to accurately determine the relative value of these feeds.