The Republican journal., 1876-01-06
Feeding Hens for Eggs.

A hen may be regarded rs = machine !
f,,. fine production of eggs. 1t only enough |
lonJ IS given to keep her alive--to lust |
RIM the lnachne-no eggs, OF course, can
he expected; but usually there IS no
trouble Ii this direction People do not
often err In not giving their hens enough;
If il more frequently the case that they
give them too much, and OF the wrong
Kind Of food If Il machine is fed with too
much raw material more than 1t has ca
,,acitv to utilize. it becomes clOgged III
lis action and fails in its work Or, II the
wrong kind of material be supplied, the
desired product will not be turned out
For 4 hen to produce an egg daily she
must be well supplied with the raw mate
rial out of which to make it. There must
be albumnous substances, such as are
found in meat and grain, out OF winch 10
form the white OF the egg, and OILY OF
latty matters to form the yelk, and lime TO
produce the shell. Various kinds OF gram
contain these substances in different pro-
portions. and this fact renders some KINDS
better adapted for the food OF fowls than
others Wheat, wheat msddllngs, oats,
barley. Indian corn and buckWheat are
rood articles Of food tor hens, it they are
used alternately. If Indian corn were to
compose the whole diet of hens, they
would be rendered too fat for laying pur-
poses, but as regular diet it IS very val
table About three times per week the
hens will need some bits OF meat, TO
furnish more abundantly the albumin
ous element of the egg. Burned oyster
shells bounded, old mortar, bOne-meal OF
something similar should be kept by them
nj All times as material tor shells. There
should also be constant supply OF fresh,
clean water Hens should never be per-
mitted to eat snow Snow water is highly
injurious to them Many persons teed
their hens all they Will eat, and keep gran
by them all the time. This is a bad prac'
tice More hens are injured by overteed
mo than in any other way. If a man eats
Mi that he can he becomes, TO some extent
incapacitated for exertlon, and it he con
tinues the practice his system will become
deranged. SO the hen, when overfed, be
comes too fat, and is good for nothing bu
to be marketed.
A simple rule in feeding hens is to Civ
them as much as they will eat eagerly, bu
no more. As soon as they cease to ca
with avidty and will not run for the food
it should be removed Fowls should b
fed in this way three times day-vlz.
morning. noon and night. The morning
meal should consist OF some soft food c
some kind, for during the night the Gro
and stomach have become empty.
whole grain is fed, the fowl is obliged I
grind it before she gets any nourishmen
and delay in the morning is injurious
therefore it is best to have scalded me;
and bran with mashed potatoes prepare'
Atnoon, a dinner of grain or meal may b
given At night, grain should be led
that the hens will have something sui
stantial in their crops to last them throug
the night In winter, Indian corn is goc
to feed at night; in summer, oats, whe;
or barley may be used. Wheat mddlint
are an excellent summer food, because
the tesh-iorming elements contained
them, the requisites for producing egg
Soft food should be mixed rather dry,
that when thrown upon the ground it wi
fall in pieces. When soft it sticks to Il
beaks. to the annoyance of the fowls, al
is also liable to derange their dgestio
Fowls require also daily.supply of gre
or fresh vegetables, both summer al
winter. Chopped turnips, cabbages
apples are suitable for winter In SUI
mer access to green grass is the b,
means of gratifying their wants In ORC
to be successful in keeping fowls the
wants should be attended to with the sal
care and regularity that is bestowed up
other animals; the increase in number
eggs will then be perceptible. ii.
Auburn. Me.