POULTRY NOTES.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 13, 11 June 1920, Page 10

POULTRY NOTES.

A BALANCED RATION. WHAT IS IT AND HOW TO MAKE IT. Poultry may be and often ars fed on a great variety of foc-ds, both as chickens and as adult birds, but the main requirements of the practical poultry f armer is such simplicity and economy in ^eding as will secure xnaximum results in th© matter of eggs and of physical developrnent. Poultry keepers are often advised to use all sorts of food for their stock, but unfortunately most of such advice disregards commercial considerations ; moreover, the published chemical analyses of many of these artieles of food, and th© glib way in whic'h poultry men are encouraged to believe they can balance rations for themselv.es, only lead to confusion. A DESIRABLE RATION, It is generally aocepted that a de. sirable ration for laying hens and for growing stock is composed of 1 part protein to 4^ or 5 paris of non-proteid matter. A ration made up only of wheat, maize, poliard, bran and lucerne in the usuai proportions would approximate a ration of 1.5, or 1.6, according to the quality of the feeds use4, so that some food of a more nitrcgm^ nature, such as meat, meat l. .. ..A like must be added. Thus, if in conjunction with wheat or maize as the gxain feed, we are using a mash mixed at the rate of, say, 601b. poliard and 321b bran, it will fcie necessary, in order to balance the ration properly, to add 81b of a meat meal or 'blood meal that is known to contain 40 per cent. proteid. If the meat meal is known to contain more proteid than we have mentiored, then the addition to the poliard and bra-n must be less than 81b. With a meat meal of, say 60 per cent, proteid, only about 51b, will require to be added to the poliard and bran. To balance the ration with, say, linseed meal would require lo to 201b. an amount that is regarded as too high for constant use. j According to analyses made by the j Chemist's Branch of the Department and ] recently compiled, the proteid content of j an average sample of wheat is from 8 ! to 10 per cent., and :aize from 10 to | 11 per cent., while the proteid content of j average- quality poliard and bran is about 17 per cent., and good dry lucerne chaff or dust from 16 to 19 per cent. Linseed meal may vary from 20 to 24 per cent., while meat and blood meals, including rabbit- meal, generally range from 40 to 60 per cent. The meaning, then, of the term "balancing a ration" is to .refgulate the proportion of prot.eids to the carbohvd- , rates and fats so as to conform to a standard that has been proved to be efhcient.