From four to six months from the time the chick is hatched, it should be ready to start laying eggs. The chick first has to get its growth and maturity, and then there is an apparent resting period for a few weeks, to allow the organs of the bird to get ready for egg production. We will next consider how we shall feed these birds, granting that we now have them ready to produce the eggs. CHAPTER VII. FEEDING FOR EGG PRODUCTION As has been said in an earlier chapter, to get the maximum egg production, three things are essential. They are: good foundation stock, proper housing, and proper feeding. We may have the best chicken house in the world, and the highest priced stock obtainable, but if we do not feed our birds the right kind of food, all our other efforts are in vain. Let us consider first a few facts concerning the composition of the egg, and then we will be able to understand more intelligently why we should feed the laying bird these certain feeds. About 14 per cent of the composition of the egg is protein, 10 per cent fat, and the remainder, except the shell, is water. Now it must be remembered that the ordinary protein supply of most food materials is relatively low. Corn contains about 7 per cent digestible protein, oats and barley about 9 per cent, and bran about 12 per cent. The roughages are considerably lower, while green feeds carry about one or two per cent protein. From this we can get an idea about the necessity of watching the feeding to the extent that this valuable constituent is sufficiently supplied. Furthermore, the hen that is producing these eggs needs a fair amount of this protein for further growth and body upkeep. Another point worth remembering is the fact that the bird, or any other animal, through natural instinct, always sees to it that the first requirement, that of bodily growth and upkeep are maintained first with the food they are given, so that to get the most from the birds, let us not hold them down to just a maintenance ration, but give them enough in addition so that they can not only maintain their body requirements properly, but also have enough food material to yield a product. The ration for the laying hen should consist of the two forms of grain; first, the whole or cracked grains that comprise the scratch ration, and which should always be thrown in the litter, so that they will have to exercise to get it, and second, the dry mash, or a mixture of various grains that are ground up and fed in hoppers. As has been stated before, this grinding of the feed is simply to make it easily digestible. Furthermore, such finely ground grains usually contain a higher percentage of protein than the other grains. By this is meant that feeds like bran, oilmeal, etc., are quite a bit higher in protein than are grains like corn, wheat, barley, etc.