xt7t1g0hvx99 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7t1g0hvx99/data/mets.xml   Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. 1925 journals kaes_circulars_001_4_186 English Lexington : The Service, 1913-1958. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 186 text Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 186 1925 2014 true xt7t1g0hvx99 section xt7t1g0hvx99 r` I . i` ‘ ?
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COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE V __ _   , E
HM . . .   `I .“ ‘  3
Vbrics EXt€l1Sl01'l DIVISIOH V A , `· = J
rhose THOMAS P. COOPER, Dean and Director   ‘   `   2  
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CIRCULAR NO 186 I · · » — - ~ 1 =
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FEEDING FOR EGG PRODUCTION   I I — ' » 5
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Dry mash feed hopper for laying hens, placed on a platform to allow _ '   g
maximum floor space, and to keep straw out of the mash. (Note the three . , . · , 1 3
cvmpartments in the right hand side for oyster shell, grit and charcoal, ‘ V 1 ;
respectively.) · _ , ,,  
Lexington, Ky. · . `   Vi
‘ October, 1925 ` _ I ,_ _   V.,” ij
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Published in connection with the agricultural extension work carried    
Oil by cooperation of the College of Agriculture, University of Kentucky. · .  
with the U. S. Department of Agriculture, and distributed in further- ‘ _‘i¢
. ..»·
ance of the work provided for in the Act of Congress of May 8, 1914.  
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Mais . ·
    i - · FEEDlNG SUGGESTIONS.
llfgl It should be remembered that no one ration will fit all
'   conditions. The cheapness and availibility ot the feeds
  should be considered. Ready-mixed poultry mashes are
  ' l very satisfactory and, if readily available and not too high
    priced, may be fed. ‘
    lf com and corn meal are the only available feeds, a J
  all dry mash of three parts corn meal and two parts meat
  i scrap should be fed with the whole or cracked corn. In
y   this case the birds should be made to consume twice as
in   i ‘ ‘ much grain as mash, by weight.
; ·   ` Feeding should be done at regular hours, preferably
  ·` twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.
{_   , ` Keep the water pans clean and Hlled with pure, fresh
      . water.
{ S3`! ' ~~ If skim-milk is fed, avoid changing from sweet to sour,
    i ` or the reverse. It is best to feed sour milk continuously.
    ‘ While the appetite should always be kept keen, never—
{   . p theless the birds should be fed all they want to eat.
)   p Feeding is but one of the four essential means of se-
  ‘ curing high egg-production. The other three are: pure-
    bred birds of high-laying strain; strong, vigorous and
gvj. healthy birds; and a comfortable house with plenty of
[   , room for exercise. From this it may be seen that correct
  4_ feeding alone cannot give maximum egg-production.
     
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CIRCULAR NO. 186 - it , -   ~ Q.;
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FEEDING FOR EGG PRODUCTION T `M   _;
By J. HOLMES MARTIN ,` I ' V    
._ R · 1 n u. i
A goodly profit from the poultry Hook is largely dependent upon _ w A ` '  
the production of eggs during seasons other than the spring months. M i i   V_ · V ‘ |=~  
ln order to secure high egg production in the late summer, fall and ' ‘V . V ·° `    
winter it is absolutely necessary that the hens be properly fed. Prob- i. ~ `_ V - } V. ;;V_·Vi
ably two-thirds of the hens in Kentucky fail to lay their maximum be- , i · ~r . .   Vj
cause they do not get the proper food to make eggs. That all flocks . ‘, ` —  
lay well in the spring is well known to all farmers. Heavy spring * '. ~ i  
laying may largely be accounted for by the fact that during the spring V `   g
months there is an ample supply of animal food in the form of insects V  
and worms, much tender green, succulent material and plenty of · V  
sunshine. lf egg production is desired during other seasons of the ~  
year it is essential to make feeding conditions as near like those in ` , ifi 
the spring as is possible. . , . *5,51
To offset animal protein supplied by insects and worms during V V w, ~  
the spring months, some form of milk or a mash containing tankage ·  
or meat scrap should be fed thruout; the year. It an ample supply V i V -  
of Skim-milk or buttermilk is available (at least 1 gallon daily for -, V ,‘  
each 25 to 30 hens) it is not necessary to feed a dry mash.* How- '  
ever, as there is liklihood of a shortage of milk on all farms at cer- ·' -  
tain seasons of the year, it is well to have available in a self-feeder , n V  
at all seasons of the year a dry mash containing some tankage or meat V  
_ Scrap. Then, in event of a shortage of milk, the proportion of tank- V _`  
age or meat scrap in the mash may be increased, whereas it may be ~ V V ,  
considerably reduced when ample milk is available. When as much »  
as 4 gallons of milk is available for 100 hens, daily, the tankage or _ ‘    
meat scrap may be reduced to as low as 5% of the mash, by weight. `  
When only two gallons of milk are available for each 100 hens, daily, V V  
the amount of tankage or meat scrap should be increased to from 10% · 1 
to 15% of the mash by weight, If, for any reason, the supply of milk V  
’See Exp. Sta. Bull. 260 for data on this point. ` i , `  

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  ;· 4 Kentucky Extemsrum Czrcular N0. 186
5   should be cut off, the proportion of tankage or meat scrap in the mash
`   should be raised to 20%. Unless some tankage or meat scrap is to be
  included in the mash, the entire mash had just as well be omitted. A
Q   _. mash consisting solely of ground grains and mill by-products has no ·
j   , effect on increasing egg production and is not very appetizing to the ·
I,   , hens. Its chief advantages would be in supplying something to eat .
. "°.‘I . . . · .
g. .V_r   » , should the grain be forgotten and in keep1ng the flock in the habit
E {I ` of eating mash.
E ·y
;“  NECESSITY OF ANIMAL PROTEIN
I l V
  The fact that animal protein is essential is clearly brought out
,,*5* by an experiment covering a, period of twelve months, conducted at
er .<» I . .
j   ‘ the Kentucky Experiment Station poultry farm.
  3F'
lm ° ! Thirty S. C, YVhite Leghorn pullets were divided into two pens of 15
  ` ' each, both pens receiving the same grain ration. Pen 1 received a mash
L   of equal parts corn meal, bran, middlings, ground oats and meat meal,
  while Pen 2 received the same mash without the meat meal. Pen 2
l L" ` averaged but 23.6 eggs per bird for the year, while the meat meal pen _
I R   ‘ averaged 124.2 eggs per bird, showing that the addition of meat meal to
fgY_Q_`€Q _~ the mash increased the egg production about Eve times,
{   I Tankage, which is widely used in hog feeding, will produce equally
;`;‘,Q°[ ·» as good results as meat meal. However, it is necessary that only
  ·` . tankage of good quality be used in poultry feeding. Tankage contain-
i fj _ ing 60% protein usually gives much better results in poultry feeding
I`:g“·f_ than the tankages containing less protein and is more economical in
In =` ·
{ig, the long run. The best grade usually is manufactured from fresher
l   · ` ,` materials.
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legit; I SKIM-MILK
  .. That an abundance of skim-milk added to a ration consisting of
  · a grain mixture and a mash of equal parts corn meal, bran, middlings
  and ground oats will produce equally as large an increase in egg
    production as meat scraps is also brought out by a further experiment
    ' at the Kentucky Experiment Station poultry farm. _
2 a ...a.I‘I  | .
{ gm; . Forty XVhite Wyandotte pullets were divided into two pens of 20 each.
    both pens receiving a grain mixture of 70% shelled corn and 30% oats. .
  and a mash mixture consisting of equal parts by weight of corn meal.
F§?‘E’Yi  bran, middlings and ground oats. Pen 2 received, in addition to the gram
  and mash, all the skim—milk they would consume but no water, While
  Pen 6 received only water to drink. From November lst to June 30th (8
  · months). Pen 2 averaged 98.5 eggs per hen while Pen 6 laid but 28.5 eggs
  per hen, in this time, which is scarcely one-third as many eggs. OS€F"a'
ti  tions on Pen 6 showed that between July lst and 9th only 3 of the 17 Te'
 
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Feeding for Egg Production 5 ‘ _ { I
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mash mammg hens were laying and the entire flock was either in a molt or just A , I    
t0 be starting. The three hens which were in laying condition only laid a total ` I I ‘ _ I
d_ A Og 5 eggs in the first nine days of July. On July 10th, skim-milk was added _ " , _ I' . I ’ I
to the ration of Pen 6. This resulted in an almost immediate postponement Z I · ` · ,-il
LS no Og the molt and the entire iiock came back into production. During the last ~ _ I I
3 the i four months (July 1 to October 31) of the test, these hens averaged 32 I ‘ ~ ‘ I I · .
) eat v_ eggs each as against only 29.5 eggs each during the eight preceding months .‘ I _ _ ‘. ;
habit which included the four spring months of normally heavy egg yield. A _ ‘ ·   E
J comparison of Pens 2 and 6 is of interest. '~ I.   j
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-   Pen 2 Pen G   ~ - ‘ . `O     I
. I    , · . ' i"
· out I Nov. i to I July 1 to , . ‘ ·_   .5
Id at j June 31 Oct. 31 _ ,  
Average No. of winter eggs ........ I 34 I 13 I ........   , ‘ I 1 I I  
Average egg production _____,,l______ 145* I 28.5 32 I, r II .    
of 15 Feed cost per dozen eggs .,......... . 13.30 27.7c 18.7c · · ‘ I ‘_ I '’e° I
Tmsh Net return over feed .............,........ $53.34 $5.39 I $6.52 "‘ ~I - ` I-·  
neal,   I»~·· , ‘ , I;,,fI
ien 2 *Yearly average. ' h I · · · I I  
DET! , I 1   ELI
al to , ‘ * _- ` ` gQ;‘_;I
‘ It should be noted that it cost practically twice as much in feed to I ~ ·  
produce a dozen eggs where no skim-milk was fed. In other words, the ‘    
wu use of milk not only increased the number of eggs but in turn reduced the  
Y cost in feed of producing eggs. A comparison of the net return over feed -  
OUIY shows that the profit from the dock is greatly increased by the use of `  
tain. milk. Whereas, Pen 6 only returned $5.39 over feed cost, during the first I_jI&
ding eight months (and would have returned little if any more had the pen been . '  j I
_ continued without skim—milk) the use of skim-milk continuously in Pen Mil;
*1 m 2 resulted in a net return of $53.34 for the year, or practically ten times ' , ‘ `  
Sher the prollt of Pen G. ‘_ `* .  
RATIONS . I ' . ‘  
· I ‘ lift
A balanced ration for laying hens consists of a suitable grain mix- I ` ·  
5 of UWB, either ample milk or a mash containing a high-protein concen- ,·  
ings trate, and ample provision for the mineral requirements ot the hens’  
agi I b0dies and the production of egg shell. The basis of the grain mix- `  
mu ture in Kentucky is corn. If corn is the only grain available it may ' I  
· . . . . I ip;
. be fed either shelled or cracked provided ample animal protein is sup- I _  
Dlied to ottset the fattening effect of the corn and balance up the ~ ' ' , f?]
zi}? Yéition (narrow the nutritive ratio). However, it is desirable to . ,’ 4.5
gal: Hdd other grains to corn. lf wheat is available and not too high I ` i  
min 111 price it may be added to the grain mixture to advantage. ’  
[IUI; I Wheat, if used, should comprise from 20 to 30% of the grain mixture. ,` _  ii
Iggs If the oats available is of good quality and not too light (not under 30 l t;
Iva- P0l111dS per bushel) it will make a desirable addition to the grain mix- ,  .g 
re- ture. On account of the high iiber content of the oat hull, oats Should ~  , Q
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0 —_,__ a; 6 Kentucky Extenmon Ozrcular N0. 186
{   ` ` never comprise more than one third of the grain mixture. Barley
I _   _  is well liked by fowls and is a very desirable grain to add to the mi;.
§·_`€_ig ture when available and not too high priced. It may compose from
    -= 10 to 30% of the grain mixture. Rye is unpalatable and tends to
Q __   poison iowls, causing limberneck, and should never be used in the
  · V grain mixture. However, green rye is highly palatable and an excel-
    _ ` ~ lent source oi succulence for the laying flock. On account ot the
    poisonous effect ot the grain, the flock should be kept away from
;     ground just sown to rye.
[_‘   DESIRABLE GRAIN MIXTURES
    . Pounds Quarts
{   . (1) Corn (shelled or cracked) -..........._.,.....-- .... ..... ........ - 50 30
V   Wheat .......... _...-....1.,_.,_,_.,.,.,.,_..___..__,._____,_,._,___,___, _,,___ 25 13
g Ut'; Oats (heavy) ..... —.-..._.....................h....--....-- ....... 25 25
I ‘· u ·-——
T ll ( 100
  gi. l ` ` Pounds Quarts
» —‘ . (2) Corn ............... . ........ -.--...~...t.-»............- ....................... 40 24
gi   ’ Barley ..... - ................ --.. _... .__,_,_,___;______ _,_____ ___ ______,____ 20 13%
[Qi'; y Wheat ..... t ........ 1.-......-.....-....n.....,,,,,___,_,___ __,,_ _ ___,_____ 20 10%
L   _ Oats (heavy) -.--.e.... ..... tt.-...............t.-..--._.-..t..-... 20 20
0 ;·*i ‘ ( —
  L . I y . 100
[   ` Pounds Quarts
  ‘ (2) Corn .r.................... -1 .... - .... - ..... -1..-.._.-...-..-..-..-..- .,.. -..- ....   70 42
;_» * ` Oats (heavy) ..... -..-.1.11t- ..... -_-..-.__-.,_...- ...... -..- ........,. 1... 30 30
   ig · 1 100
I   ~ 1- - Pounds Quarts
~   ‘ (4) Corn .............,....... 1.- .... - .... 1..-...- .... -..--.......t-.-..- .... - ...... -... 70 42
,·   XVheat ..........,.. _ ..............., -...... ....... ...- ...... -................-....-.... ........... 30 15%
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(   ~¥ i ‘ 100
§_ __   '. Any one of these grain mixtures may be used, whether milk or a
i   `, mash containing tankage is the source of animal protein. If corn.
  ._ wheat and oats are all available for the laying ilock one of the most
    satisfactory methods of feeding them during the fall and winter is l0 -
  _ scatter the wheat in the straw litter in the morning, feed the oats,
{_ _A."   ` either germinated or spronted, at noon, and feed the corn (shelled 0I'
  cracked) in the straw litter about an hour before roosting time. Ab0l1t
  twice as much corn (by weight) should be fed in evening as is fed of
  the wheat in the morning. ·The advantages of this method are that
  , the Wheat in the straw litter furnishes ample scratching during thé
  forenoon, whereas ¤the germinated oats at noon furnish sueculence.
    and is more digestible than the dry oats would be in the grain miX·
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    , This shows that no appreciable increase in production was caused by
T· j il ` the use of these widely advertised egg tonics. Probably the chief reason
I 7 that they give satisfaction is the fact that the directions for their use de-
f " [ ‘ mand that they be fed with a mash. In all probability it is the better feed- `
Q ·_·’ ing conditions that bring about the increased production and not the use of
   ; » the tonics,
    i SUGCULENT FEED
F li . . .
,   . l Green feed IS desirable for the laying Hook because of the fact
it 3  ` ` that it supplies certain essential food factors known as vitamins.
` LL"`; ~ . ’ If white corn is used in the grain mixture and commercial corn meal .
y `   _ ` (without the germs) in the mash, then green feed is practically a
i . { necessity. On the contrary, if yellow corn is used as grain and ground
    ‘ yellow corn (germs as well as starchy portions) in the mash, then
I     ' i green feed is not an essential in feeding laying hens. However, its
I vgijfii use will deepen the yellow color of the egg yolks, which is in many
    ` cases to be desired. It is well known that green feed is quite essen-
, .     tial for the breeding hens, as its use increases the hatchability of the
Q   ' ` eggs. If green feed is not supplied laying pullets they should be given
   `1 , ., epsom salts at the rate of one pound per 100 hens (in the drinking
r {QI! ` · water) once each month, to cleanse the digestive tract and offset thc
§   succulent effect of green material.
{   Sprouted oats afford an excellent source of succulence during fall
  _;_  ' and winter. If the sprouts are placed close to the window where they 4
    may receive sunlight, their green color will add richness to the yellow
E~Qg—;;Z ` e color of the yolk. Altho this is desirable, yet in many cases it is ad·
[;§_.f;§·.L- Visable to feed oats when the sprouts are about % to %, of an inch
  IOHS- Such oats &l‘€ Commonly referred to as germinated oats and
  ·__— gw may be prepared as follows:
  Bore one or two small (% in.) holes in the bottom of each of 5 01”6
  v wooden candy pails or lard tubs. Have one pail or tub without holes fm
    soaking the oats. Fill this pail half full of dry oats and add €¤<`•¤é’h
    lukewarm water to cover the oats to a depth of about 2 inches. AIIOW the ,
 
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Feeding for Egg Production 11 ` ` _ ,V l    
Oats to soak over night (about 12 hours) then pour off the water and empty A , A A ~ r    
  the oats into another pail, in which the holes have had plugs inserted, and ~ AA ` , A `   .  
· allow the oats to soak in warm water for 5 minutes. Stir the oats a time   l . · · { l
mc gr two and then take the plug out of the bottom of the bucket and drain i A ~ ‘ ·   §
* V Off the water. After that, morning and evening empty the oats from one A , A 4 _ A · f
pan to another, Gil with warm water, let stand five minutes and stir VA. · ‘. V A »
before draining off the water. A new bucket of dry oats should be put J A ` A ·
to soak each evening. Keep the pails in a warm place and covered with , ' l ·A ·` ‘
at wet cloth. After 5 or 6 days of alternate soaking, stirring and draining, A · · ·.  
· the sprouts should be long enough to feed. The pails should be scalded ‘ ` ,
with hot water each time before starting a new lot. ·A ~` · A V    
T Under Kentucky conditions a good clover or alfalfa pasture, sup- j AA _ _ A. -_ I     ·
` plemented by a patch of green rye will provide the flock with ample ' I ‘ , ` ; ‘A
‘ succulence thruout most of the year. If, in addition to the pasture, ` V_ V V ‘ lg Q
the flock is given access to alfalfa or clover chaff or hay, especially ;4», A' `V; .V ' l A l
l_‘;‘;S?; when the weather conditions are such that the Hook remains close to ·. 1 '    
ge d€_ or in the house, the green feed requirements ot the dock will be met. l , .   ‘ A . A · AH ij
~ feed- ‘ Broken stems and leaves of alfalfa or clover hay such as are found lr V A . "   t ~ l
use 0f on the hay mow floor are excellent for poultry feeding and, except .,V _ -·A A  
when musty, may be fed to advantage. They may be steamed with · Q . V ,i V, * §’V of
boiling water and fed in a moist mash or the dry chaff may be scooped VV _ ~A ‘ V . l  
up and put into the henhouse where the hens can help themselves. P ·_ _ ‘  
2 fact Cabbage and corn silage are other desirable sources of green food. V ‘ ,   1
mins. When fed silage in small amounts the hens will generally pick out the V _   il
meal leafy part that is cut rather line. Mangel beets, while furnishing V V V  
lily 3 succulence, do not supply the vitamin factors to be desired in green - L ’’’A  
round feed and hence are not particularly advantageous. If root crops are · ' lAV`AAl
then desired, a heavy-yielding sugar beet is to be preferred to mangels. A A ,  
el`, llB ,      
mm Mernoo or Feeomo. V ` iff-Vi
>sS€¤· _ . _ . . . . · , V »`¤· ;  
Af the Exe1c1se keeps the hens in the best physical condition, thus . A. tA·A·;—j
given enabling them to avoid diseases and lay well. One of the best ways " . A r  
ukmg T0 induce exercise is to, feed all the grain in a deep straw litter. It A ~ » {VA;
I me Should be scattered well into litter from 6 to 10 inches deep; about M t ‘  
IA/3 the total amount early in the morning and 2/3 in the evening. ,  
g fall Tllfi l1i1‘