The daily gazette., 1876-01-19
Feeding Hens for Egg.

A hen NAV be regarded as a machine
for the production of eggs. II only
enough food is given to keep her allve
to lust run the machine-no eggs,of
course can be expected, but usually
there is no tronble in this direction.
People do not often err in not giving
their her enough, it is more frequent
ly the case that they give them too
much, and of the wrong kind OF food.
II a machine is fed with too much raw
material, more than it has capacity to
utilize, il becomes clogged in Its
action and fails in its work. Or, If the
wrong kind of material be supplied, the
desired product will not be turned
out. For hen to produce an egg
daily she must be well supplied with
the raw material out of which to make
it. There must be albuminous sub
stances, such as are found in meat and
grain, out of which to form the white
OF the egg, and oily or fatty matters
to form the yolk, and lime to produce
the shell. Various kinds of grain con-
tain these substances in different pro-
portions, and this fact renders some
kinds better adapted for food Of fowls
than Others. Wheat, wheat middlings,
oats. barley, Indian corn and buck
wheat are good articles of food for
hens, il they are used alternately. If
Indian corn were TO compose the whole
diet of hens. they would be rendered
too tat for laying purposes, but as a
regular diet it is very valuable. About
three times per week the hens will
need some bits Of meat, to furnish
more abundantly the albuminous ele'
ment OF the egg. Burned oyster shells
pounded, old mortar, bone meal or
something similar should be kept by
them at all times as material for shells
There should also be constant supply
OF fresh, clean, water. Hens should
never be permitted to eat snow. snow
water is highly injurious to them
Many persons feed hens all they will
| eat, and keep grain by them all the
time. This is bad practice More
hens are injured by over feeding than
in any other way. If man eats all
that he can he becomes, to some ex-
tent, incapacitated for exertion, and if
he continues the practice his system
will become deranged. So the hen
when overfed becomes too fat, and is
good for nothing but to be marketed.
A simple rule in feeding hens is to
give them as much as they will eat
eagerly, but uomore. AS soon as they
cease to eat with avidity, and will
not run for the food, i: should be re-
| moved. Fowls should be fed in this
| way three times day-viz: morning,
noon and night The mornings meal
should consist OF some soft food of
some kind, for during the night the
crop and stomach have become empty.
If whole grain is fed, the fowl is
obliged to grind it before she gets any
nourishment and delay in the morning
is injurious; therefore it is best to
have scalded meal and bran with
mashed potatoes prepared. At noon,
dinner OF grain or meal may BE- given.
| AT night grain should be fed 50 that
hens Will have something substantial
in their crops to last them through the
night IN winter Indian corn is good
to be led at ni-l' in summer. oats
wheat or barley may be used. Wheat
mlddlings are AZ excellent summer
food. because Of the flesh forming elc
ments contained IN them, the Teuui-
sites Tor producing eggs. Soft tooG
should be mixed rather dry, so thai
when thrown Qpon the ground it vii
fall in pieces. When soft it sticks tC
the beaks to the annoyance of the
fowls, and is also liable 10 derangt
their digestion. Fow.s require also ;
daily supply OF green or fresh vegeta-
bles, both summer and winter. Chop
ped turnips, cabbage or apples are
suitable for winter. In summer aCces
to green grass is the best means o
gratifying their ~ants. In order TO be
successful in keeping fowls, their want
should be attended to with the SAINT
care and regularity that is bestowed
upon other animals; the increase II
number OF eggs will then be percepti
ble.-H. r., An5nfp, Ns.