Well-bred and well-fed hens are conceded to be economical producers of a very wholesome food product, eggs, but our hens are not miracle workers and they insist on the right kind of raw material for building the egg. Nebraska poultry growers fortunately have all the natural feeds - corn, wheat, oats, barley, and dairy and packing house by-products - readily available at lower cash prices than prevail in most other states, and so our special problem is that of combining them so that eggs may be produced at the lowest cost per dozen

Mussehl, F. E.

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Historical Circulars of the Nebraska Agricultural 
Experiment Station Extension 
10-1925 
Better Rations - More Eggs 
F. E. Mussehl 
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Better
-
Be tter Rations - More Eggs 
F. E . .MUSSEHL 
Well-bred and well-fed hens are conceded to be economical 
producers of a very wholesome food product, eggs,- but our 
hens are not miracle workers and they insist on the right 
kind of raw material for building the egg. Nebraska poultry 
growers fortunately have all the natural feeds - corn, wheat, 
oats, barley, and dairy and packing house by-products -
readily available at lower cash prices than prevail in most 
other states, and so our special problem is that of combining 
them so that eggs may be produced at the lowest cost per 
dozen. 
FEEDING P R INC IPL ES 
Prices of particular feeds may vary, and as they do, it is 
sometimes good business policy to vary our mixtures. This 
we can do safely if we meet certain requirements. 
The principles of feeding can best be demonstrated by con-
sidering corn as a poultry feed . Corn is, in fact, the basic 
poultry feed in most sections because of its high palatability, 
digestibility, and reasonableness of cost. But hens put on a 
ration of corn alone will not lay eggs, because such a ration 
is deficient in minerals, in proteins of the right quality, and 
probably also in some of the vitamins. 
If we re-enf orce the corn ration with minerals, our hens 
will lay a few eggs but not many because the ration is still 
very deficient. When we add to the corn and minerals some 
good complete animal protein, as is furnished by milk or 
packing house products, egg production is much improved 
but is still not at its best. The addition of some succu lent 
green feed like clover will, however, further improve egg 
production. 
The principles of feeding can be represented quite fairly 
in a table o[ additions as follows : 
Symbols repre sent 
increasing egg production 
I. Corn alone ......... ... ... ...... ...................... .............. 0 
II. Corn + ash (mainly calcium, phosphorus and chlo-
rine furni shed by salt) . ...... .... ............. ......... ...... 
III. Corn ash ............. . .. .................. + + 
IV. Corn + ash + protem green feed ..... .. . + + + 
V. Corn animal protein + green feed + other 
feeds which add palatability and attractiveness + + + + + 
4 NEBR ASK A EX PERIMENT S TATION, CIRCU LAR 33 
P ract ically all grains an d grain prod uct s ar e deficient in 
the same essent ia ls as corn , so that comb ining grains, tho 
helpfu l, does not entire ly solve our feeding pr oblem. 
WHAT TO FEED 
A program for " 150 eggs per hen " pr oduct ion must be 
planned aro und a good, complete dry mas h mi xt ure . Severa l 
satisfactory dry mash form ulas are listed on the las t pages 
of th is circ ular. The dry mash mixture, being made fro m 
ground grains, milling by-products, and usually packing 
house prod ucts, is less palatab le because of its finely groun d 
form than is the scra t ch feed . For this reason it is sa fe to 
keep it before the hens at all times without danger of over -
feeding . Dry-mash feedi ng saves labor and is r sitive
insurance aga inst un der feeding . 
A NIM A L PRO TE IN IS ESS ENTI AL 
The one element in the laying-hen ration that is most often 
lacking is some form of comple te protein, such as meat mea l, 
tankage, dried buttermilk, skim milk, or liquid buttermi lk. 
Experimental work at the Purdue Agricu ltural Experiment 
Station has shown that the addition of 6 pounds of a high 
grade tankage to a typical grain ration increased egg pro-
duction from 59 eggs per hen in the check pen (no anima l 
p rotein) to 183 eggs per hen in the tankage fed lot. Wh en 
skim milk or buttermilk is available at all times, we can dis-
pense with the meat meal or ta nkage in the mash mixture, 
T ANK AGE MEAT SCRAPS NO MEAT-FEED
FIG. 1.- Comparativ e egg r ecor ds of hen s f ed t ankag e, meat scra ps, 
and n o animal pro te in fee d. From Circul ar 101, Pu r du e Agri cul-
tural Experim ent Stat ion . 
BETTER RATIONS - MORE EGGS 5 
but each hen must consume about 110 pounds of milk per year 
to get the equivalent protein furnished by 6 pounds of tankage . 
Occasiona lly it is advisable to feed moist mash . Moisten-
ing the same mixture that is kept before the hens at all tim es, 
with buttermilk or sour milk, to a crumbly consistency, results 
in a combination much relished by our hens . Greater skill 
in feeding is required when the moist-mash method of feeding 
is used, since carele ss f eedihg will put the flock out of con-
dition. The best time of the day to feed moist mash is at 
noon, and only as much should be fed as the birds will clean 
up readily in about twenty minutes . The moist mash should 
be fed in tro ughs or pans which can be thoroly and regularly 
cleaned. 
SCRATCH FEEDS 
Whole or cracked corn is usually the foundation of all 
scratch feeds. Corn is very pala table and since it is so well 
liked most flocks are always ready to rustle for it, thus 
encouraging the exercise which is probably essentia l during 
the winter months. Wheat, barley , and oats can also be used 
in the scratch mixture, rel ative prices being the determining 
factor. 
The am ount of scr atch feed to be given the flock will be 
dete rmi ned by the amount of dr y mash which the hens eat. 
Durin g the winter months it is best to feed about twice as 
much scratc h feed as mash, wher eas during the spring and 
summer mont hs the ratio shou ld be reversed . The heaviest 
feed should be given late in th e af ternoon just before the 
birds go to roost. A schedule of scratch grain feeding for 
each month of the year is suggested in Table I. 
T ABLE 1.- A mounts of grain per 100 hens per day and 
suggested standar d of production 
Pounds Eggs per hen Per cent 
MONTH per day Morning Evening per month produ c tion 
November ............ 12 4 8 6 16.67 
December ....... ..... 12 4 8 6 19.3 
Januar y ---.. --· ........ - 12 4 8 9 29.0 
February ---· ----.. -- 12 4 8 12 43.0 
March ---------·------10 4 6 19 61.3 
April ----------·-------10 4 6 21 70.0 
May ------------··------10 4 6 20 64.5 
June ........................ .. 8 3 5 16 53.3 
July --------------------8 3 5 14 45.1 
Augu st ......... ....... 2 4 13 41.9 
September ..... ----.... 5 2 3 9 30. 0 
October .. -------..... --- 5 2 3 6 19.4 
150 
6 NEBRASKA EXPERIMENT STATION, CIRCULAR 33 
SUCCULENCE AND WATER 
Succulent feeds like alfalfa, clover, blue grass, sprouted 
oats, etc., are rich in the vitamins which have assumed great 
importance as our knowledge of feeding essentials has 
increased . These feeds have a good effect on the diges tive 
system and many poultrymen are finding succulent feeds 
more beneficial than drugs and tonics in this respect. 
Sprouted oats are one of the best forms of succulence, and 
these can be prepared very easily without buying expensive 
equipment. At the Agricult ur al College Poultr y Farm the 
box-method of sp r outing is used. The oats are soaked in a 
large tub or barrel for about 12 hours. They are then drained 
and shoveled into shallow boxes to a depth of 3 or 4 inches , 
water being sprinkled over them as they become dry. In a 
basement room in which the temperature can be kept between 
50 ° and 80 ° F., sprout ing proceed s rapidly, and the oats are 
ready to feed in five days. The hens like them best when the 
sprouts are about one-half inch long. lVIangel beet s, sugar 
beets, and similar root crops can be used as succulent fee ds. 
but recent experimental work at the California Experiment 
Station indicates that they are not as valuable as field-grown 
greens. Carrots are, however, considered the equal of field-
grown greens. 
A dozen eggs contain about a pint of water, and a hundred 
hens in good production will require 4 gallons of water per 
day. Good, clean , fresh wate r should be made available at all 
times. 
MINERAL FEEDS 
The mineral requirements of laying hens are relatively 
great, the finished egg itself consisting of over 10 per cent 
of ash. . The calcium which is needed for egg shell building 
can usually be furnished best with oyster shel l. Our hens 
shou ld have free access to this at all times in addition to grit 
which is needed for grinding feeds in the gizzard. 
Recent experimental work has indicated not only that we 
must provide sufficient calcium and phosphorus for egg build-
ing but that a certain kind of radiant energy is essential for 
proper assimilation of these elements . Fortunately, this form 
of energy, known as ultra-violet radiation, is furni shed by 
the direct sunshine which is liberally provided under Nebraska 
conditions. The sunlight which comes thru glass has most 
of the ultra-violet radiation filtered out of it, however, so that 
our management should be planned to get the hens into direct 
sunlight whenever possible. Certain glass substitutes which 
BETTER RATIONS - MORE EGGS 7 
are now being manufactured permit ultra -violet radiation to 
pass thru, and these will likely find wide use in poultry houses. 
An other minera l which hens need in small amount s is com-
mon salt. The only safe way to feed this element, howeve r , 
is to include it in the mash mixture and when so included, 
care must be taken to see that the salt is finely granulated 
and thoroly mixed with the rest of the mash . One pound of 
salt per 100 pounds of mash is recommended . 
A RTIFICIAL LIGHTI NG IN WI NTER 
Winter egg production can be considerably increa sed by 
artificial lighting. Two flocks of 90 Leghorn pullet s each 
were given the same kind of feed and were housed in the 
same kind of poultry houses at this Experiment Station . One 
lot was, however, lighted from 5 a. m. until daylight. The 
lighted lot laid 3,407 eggs during the same time that the 
unlighted birds laid 2,559. The additiona l eggs produced by 
the lighted flock during the period of lighting (from Decem-
ber 18 to March 1) sold for $25.44. 
Lights are used of course only during the fall and winter 
months, when the hen's working day is comparatively short. 
The lighting period covers a time from about October 1 to 
March 1 each year, and well-developed pullets which are ready 
to start laying about November 1 usually respond best to 
lighting . When lights are used on yearling hens their use 
should be postponed until about January 1. 
Two common methods of lighting are practiced, these being 
morning lights (from 4 :30 a. m. unt il dayl ight ) and evening
lights (from sunset to about 9 :00 p. m.). Morning lighting 
seems to give best general satisfaction because of greater 
ease in working out a fe eding and management schedu le. 
The morning feed of scratch grain can be thrown in the litter 
the evening before and an alarm clock operated switch will 
turn on the lights at the desired time. The point s which must 
be emphasized ·when lights are used are regularity in their 
use, proper feeding, and a good supply of water. 
TOT AL FE ED REQUIR EMENT S 
Accurate reco r ds which have been kept at the Vineland, 
New J ersey, Egg Laying Contest ind icate that birds of the 
general purpose type, Plymouth Rocks, Reds, and Wyandottes, 
will consume about 85 pounds of feed per bird per year. Leg-
horns consumed 76 pounds per bird. The total feed consump-
tion was about equally divided between scratch and mash 
• 
8 NEBRASKA EXPERI MENT STATION, CIRCULAR 33 
FIG. 2.- The dry-mash ingredients can be well mixe d by turning them 
over on the floor about fou r times. Whet her to buy prepared feeds 
or mix rat ions at home is a quest ion of cost, quality, and convenience . 
Figure the cost of the ingred ients in the ration , ad d a reasona ble 
charge for mixing, and then compare the price of home-mixed feeds 
wit h commercial feeds . 
feeds , tho t he pr opor tions of these varied depe nding on t he 
season of t he year. The pou nds of feed req uired to pr oduce a 
pound of egg were 4.6 for the genera l purpose breeds and 3.5 
for the Leghorns. 
It is est imated that, with good birds given good care so 
that the tota l ann ual production averages 150 eggs per hen, 
a $10 per ton fluctuation in feed prices rep r esents a fluct ua-
t ion of 3½ cents per dozen in the cost of th e eggs prod uced. 
In other words, whe n feed goes up $10 per ton we must sell 
our eggs for 3½ cents per dozen more, to make the same 
labor and managerial income. 
BETTER RATIONS - MORE EGGS 
RATIONS FOR LA YING HENS 
9 
(Add 1 pound finel y divided sa lt to each 100 pou n ds of all 
dry ma sh mixtures) 
Numb er I 
SCRATCH FEED
Cracked yellow corn 
Sprouted oats for succulent feed 
DRY MASH
Corn meal ...................... 150 pounds 
Shorts .......................... .. 150 pounds 
Bran ............................ .. 100 pounds 
Mea meal or tankage 100 pounds 
Number II 
SCRA T CH FEED 
Cracked yellow corn.... 500 pounds 
Wheat ............................ 100 pounds 
Heavy oats ...... .............. 100 pounds 
DRY MASH 
Corn meal (yellow) . . ... . 200 pound s 
Ground 100 poun ds 
Ground barley ................ 100 pounds 
Meat meal or tankage 100 pounds 
Numb e r III 
SCRATCH FEED DRY MASH 
Cracked yellow corn.... 500 pounds 
Wheat ............... ............. 100 pounds 
Corn meal .................... .. 100 pounds 
Bran .............................. 100 pounds 
Shorts ............................ 100 pounds 
Skim milk or buttermilk to drink 
Nu mbe r IV 
SCRATCH FEED DRY MASH 
Cracked yellow corn.... 500 pounds 
Wheat ............................ 100 pounds 
Barley ............................ 100 pounds 
Kafir .............................. 100 pounds 
Yell ow corn meal.......... 100 pounds 
Bran .............................. 100 pounds 
Shorts ............................ 100 pounds 
Pulverized oats .............. 100 pounds 
Meat meal or tankage 100 pounds 
[10M] 



Better Rations - More Eggs

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