g . Ex Sta. Library
Progress Repo No30 January 1947
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT 
STATION
of The Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Auburn, Ala.
S. .. * * M. J. Funchess, Director
GREEN 'FEED as a SUBSTITUTE for LAYNG HASH for HEN'S
D. F. KING, Poultry Husbandman
Many publications 
stress the importance
of green feed as a supplement to the chick-
en ration. In all cases, however, green
feed was considered as a supplement to a
laying mash ration and not as a substitute
for all or a part of the laying mash.
There is a decided shortage in many of
the common protein supplements used in
poultry rations at the present time. Imma--
ture, actively-growing plants are rich in
protein, minerals, and vitamins. The protein
is of good quality and effectively supple-
ments the proteins of corn and other grains.
Plants grown on well fertilized land con--
tains from 16 to 18 per cent protein on a
dry basis.
RESULTS of EXPERIMENTS
Preliminary tests. The first test con-
ducted in 1942 was to determine the value
of white clover as a source of protein for
laying hens.
Twenty-five White Leghorn hens were
allowed to graze all the time on an area
having a good stand of white clover. They
were fed all the corn and wheat they would
eat. A similar flock of 25 was fed commer-
cial laying mash as a protein supplement,-
and corn and wheat. This flock served as a
check or control pen. The number of eggs
laid by each group by 5-day periods over a
60-day test are as follows:
Average Number of Eggs Laid per
The egg production of the clover-fed pen
was definitely below the control pen at the
end of the 60day period. It was, therefore,
decided to give this pen a limited amount
of cottonseed meal daily in order to in-
crease the amount of protein. This aas done
for a 20-day period. During this time, egg
production of this pen was even lower, the
25 hens averaging only 4 eggs per day. The
hens refused to eat any appreciable amount
of the cottonseed meal.
At this time the clover-fed pen as
given a limited amount of laying mash once
each day. The 25 hens were fed 1 -1/4 pounds
per day, which is approximately one-half
norm':"' consumption, during a period of 60
days. The number of eggs laid daily in-
creased from 3 to as high as 18, and the
flock averaged 16 eggs per day for the last
45 days of this period.
To determine to what extent the laying
mash could be reduced when hens are grazed
on white clover, the daily amount of laying
mash was reduced to 10 ounces for the 25
hens. This is about one-fourth normal con-
sumption. For the next 60 days these hens
averaged 11 eggs per day. This was the end
of the grazing season and the project was
discontinued until the next spring.
Suibstitution of other grazing crops for
laying mash. During 41~ 3 four different
grazing crops were studied. White clover
Day by 5-Day Periods, 60-Day Test
5-day periods 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Pen ,grazed on
white clover 11 14 6 9 9 12 13 9 8 8 8 8
Control 16 14 13 12 10 11 11 10 12 
12 13 14
* Formerly Mimeograph Series.
* * & *
was grazed during 'May,-. kudzuduringJune,
alfalfa during August, and Otootan soybeans
during September. Four pens of'15
Leghorn pullets each were used for each
crop. Each pen received all of the cracked
yellow corn and whole wheat they would eat.
In addition Pen'1 had grazing, Pen 2 had
grazing and about one-fourth as 'much lay-.
ing mash daily as they would normally
consume, Pen 3 had grazing and about one-.
half as much laying mash daily as they
would normally,, consume, while Pen. .4 ,(check
or control)'had no grazing but all the
layingmash they wanted, A new group of
pullets was used for each different green
feed.
The results obtained are summarized in
Tables 1, 2, 3, and 4. In all cases grain
was valued at $2.l5, and laying mash at
$3.20, per -hundred poun~ds. No charge was
made for'green feed consumed.
yeblsw csrI Clover, Grains, and Lim'eatTable 1. Results from Usi ng White ited
Laying Mash for Pullets, May 1943
PEN NUM-BER. FE-ED. CONSUMED 
PER HEN PER MONTH
MASH.GR A I N
GRAZING CROP -
RATE Or EGG
PRODUCT ION,
FEED COST PER
DOZEN EGGS
Pounds Pounds Per cent 
DolI la rs
4 0 ClIover 50 
.07'
2 2-3/4 3/4 Clover 
61 -05.
3 2-1/4 1 -/2 Clover 
64 .0 6.
4 :(ck. 3-1/3 2-3/4 - one 
59 .11
'Table 2. Results from Using Kudzu, Grains' 
and Limited
Laying Mash f or Pu llets, June1943
PEN NUMBER FEED CONSUMED PER HEN PER MONTH GRAZING CROP 
RATE Or EGG FEED COST PER
GRAIN MASH PRODUCTION 
DOZEN EGGS
Pounds Pounds Per cent 
Dollars
2.9 0 Kudzu 21.5.1
2 3.6 3/4 
Kudzu 37.3 . 10
383.5 
Kudzu 33.3 
.13..
4 (ck.) 3.0 3-1/4 None 56.0
iTable 3. Results from Using Alfalfa
9 
Grains
9 
and Limited
Laying Mash for Pullets, August 1943
PEN NUMBER FEED CONSUMED GRAZING CROP RATE Or EGG FEED COST PER
GRAIN MASH 
PRODUCTION DOZEN EGGS
Pounds Pounds Per cent 
Dollars
3.5 0 Alfalfa 
28.0 .11
2 4.2 3/4 
Alfalfa 40.6
3 4.5 1-1/2 
Alfalfa 46.2 .12
4 (ck,) 1 3.0 4. None 
52.0 .15
Table 4. Results from Using Otootan Soybeans
9 
Grains, and Limited
Laying Mash for Pullets, September 1943
PEN NUMBER FEED CONSUMED PER HEN PER MONTH GRAZING 
CRO P RATE Or EGG FEED COST3 PER
_________ GRAIN MASH ________ 
PRODUCTION DOZEN EGGS
Pounds Pounds 
Per cent DolIlars
15.0 0 Soybeans 
27.5 .15
2 5.0 3/4 
Soybeans 48.0 .1-0.
3 5.0 1-1/2 Soybeans- 
68.0 .09
4(ck.) No control available _______ 
______________
(2)-
I
In three out of the four tests Pen 2,
which received grazing and about one-
fourth as much laying mash as they would
normally consume, produced eggs with a
lower .feed cost per dozen than any of the
other pens.
White clover seemed superior to the
other feeds tested in its ability toreplace
laying mash , However, time of year, hot
weather, and inadequate rainfall considera-
bly reduced growth of the other three green
crops.
Substituting white clover 
for laying
mash. Starting on March 10 and continuing
for a period of 7 months in 1944, 8 months
in 1945, and 6 months in 1946, a pen of
15 White Leghorn pullets that received
green feed as a substitute for three-
fourths of the laying mash was compared
with a similar pen receiving unlimited
amounts of laying mash but no green
feed.
The crop grazed was largely white clover,
although some grasses were also available.
The duration of the test each year was
limited to the period during which white
clover was growing fairly well. The results
are summarized in Table 5.
The hens fed green feed and limited
amounts of mash laid more eggs each of the
3 years than similar hens receiving no
green feed but unlimited amounts of laying
mash. They did consume 
more grain than the
control hensq about one-half pound per hen
per month,
The feed cost per dozen eggs was decidedly
in favor of the limited mash-green feed flock.
The difference of 10.4 cents per dozen does
not allow for costs of producing the green
feed. It is difficult to even estimate how
much this would cost Assuming, however, that
it costs not over $10 per year to maintain
an acre of clover and that 115 hens could be
grazed on the acre fora7-month period each
year, the cost of green feed per dozen eggs
produced would be about one cent per dozen.
CONCLUSIONS
From the results of experiments reported
here, it is concluded 
that
(1) As much as 75 per cent of the usual
amount of laying mash fed canbe substituted
with HOME GROWN green feed.
(2) Hens will produce more eggs when
grazed on white clover and fed only limited
amounts of laying mash than when fed a full
ration of laying mash without green feed.
(3) By substituting green grazing crops
for 75 per cent of the mash, feed cost may
be cut as much as 35 per cent.
(4) Since both grain and green feed can
be grown on the farm, egg production can be
more nearly put 
upon ahome-grown 
feed basis
than heretofore.
(5) And, because of the difficulties of
grazing large numbers of birds in 
a unit,
this system of feeding is more suitable to
small flocks than to large ones.
Table 5. Summary of 3 Years' Results from Feeding Hens Green .
Feed, Grain, and Limited Amounts of Laying Mash, 19 4-46
YEAR EGGS LAID PRODUCTION GRA'N MASH 0. SHELL TOTAL FEED COST PER
FEED COST DOZEN EGGS
GREEN FEED PEN Number Per cent Pounds Pounds Pounds Dollars Cents
1944 1,333 52 378 69.5 24.5 14.82 14.7
1945 19536 45 501 
81.0 17.5 18.65 14.6
1946 1,289 47 367 69.2 17.0 17.03 15.9
Total or av. 4,158 48.0 1,246 219.7 59.0 
50.50 15.07
NO GREEN FEED
1944 1,159 414 294 305 24.0 20.53 
24.5
1945 l1,298 38 
415 358 22.5 
25.77 23.8
1946 1,237 45 37.0 340 22.2 28.99 28.1
Total or av. 3,694 42.3 1,079 1,003 68.7 75.29 25.47
mash IH~y dd cosum mor gran tan te naxrn IP