Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-08-22
FARM AND PRESIDE.
Fat Poultry.

Much Misrepresentation exists with re-
gard to the evil effects of fattening
poultry. The old theory that fowls can
be over-fed so as to cause them to cease
laying has still many advocates in rural
districts. Experience, however, does
not bear out this idea, although there
certainly are some reasons why poultry
keepers should have fallen into the mis-
take. For pleasant as the sight is to
see yard filled with good fat hens, and
oyerjoyed as the heart of the henwife
may be, when she sees them growing
more plump every day, still we venture
to affirm that in the case Of hens, as IN
many others, the old proyerb is applica-
ble-''It is just possible to have too
much of a good thing" 1t may sound
at first somewhat like an anomaly when
we say that the latest hen in the yard
may be the most improbable, but it is
quite true and unless it be about
Christmas time, and it be required for
the table, it has every chance of re-
naming so until it gets thinner. We
all know that cattle may be too fat to
breed, and certainly it is no uncommon
sight to see very fat hens which do not
lay; but as to the cause of the latter,
much misconception prevails. A hen
wife, on seeing an extra fat bird cease
laying, will exclaim, ''Oh, it is too fat
to lay" and this opinion is common
among very many Of those who deal in
poultry matters.
Our experience has shown us that the
more hen gets to eat the more she
will lay; and as hen weighing about
five or six pounds, lays her own weight
in six weeks, the process is very ex-
haustive one. Our doctrine, hence, is
that hens become fat because they cease
to lay, not that they cease to lay be-
cause they become fat. In the case of
fowls shut up this does not hold good ;
they have not the same drain on their
system as those running about, conse-
quently they become SO fat that the eggs
are not properly fertilized, and it is quite
possible that fowls confined in small
space and very highly fed, will cease
laying, but where hens have plenty of
scope for exercise, and ordinary good
feeding, there is no reason why they
should not lay regularly or at least
there is very little fear Of their becom-
ing too fat to lay.
Instead, therefore, of reducing the
quantity Of food given to hens, the wis
est plan Of egg getting would be to give
them more than they ordinarily con-
sumo. This would appear. at first sight,
to be almost an impossibillty; for, sal
though we take horse to the well we
cannot make him drink, no more can
we compel fowls to eat more than they
want; but If we reflect that one cause
which limits their appetite is their ina
bility to digest more than a certain
quantity of the hard gain which forms
their regular diet, it will be obvious to
many that BY softening the food, either
by grinding or cooking, we may enable
them to dispose of little more. Some
people will be likely to say to this !:
'Well, but my hens are able to dispose
of more meat than I care to give."-
Quite true, but supposing you have
thirty hens, and giving them an aver
age amount of food, you will get GER
tain number Of eggs. IF now you kill
ten Of them, and give to the remaining
twenty, half the amount of food that
these ten would have consumed, you
will get more eggs and save grain. Or.
If you feed one bushel Of corn per week
to certain number of fowls, and get
four dozen eggs, by feeding bushel
and quarter you will probably get six
dozen of eggs. Here, while one bushel
gives four dozen, the extra quarter
bushel gives the full equivalent of half
a bushel. This is not mere theory or
speculation, for We have practically
tested this very thing, and know by ex-
perlence that we are right. II is but
proper to add, however, that the grind
ing and cooking of the food for fowls
produce such an effect that, while the
actual quantity required is not increas-
ed, the effects Of this quantity are great
~ increased. G.. T. B.