The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-03-14
Feed Corn Stalk. Early.

consider good, bright corn stalks quite
valuable for feeding to cows, oxen and young
cattle; and, although I would not want to
Keep cattle on them all the time, am conf
dent that it is better to feed part stalks than
1t is to keep them on hay alone, 1 get the
best returns, think, from from stalks which
are fed to cows from which butter is made in
the winter. The fodder corn is the best to
use. This always mean to grow in larger
quantities than can use green, but do not
have half enough to 60 through the winter:
besides. want to feed the stalks which have
been husked. Part of these I feed in the
barn. and, before putting them in the man
gers, | run them THROUGH a feed cutter. This
is considerable work, but the cattle eat the
stalks much better, and there is also quite
9 gain in the convenience of using the butts
Tor bedding. Long stalks make bad work to
ciean tue stables and are also in the way
when the manure Is carted from the Yards,
but in pleasant weather I feed many stalks
In the yard. This think, is the more COM
mon way among farmers, and if rightly
managed it does not involve much waste.
When the yards are dry cattle will eat the
stalks clean enough, but they should be dis
posed of before warm weather sets ia, for
when 1t becomes warm the yards get wet
with the melted snow and thawing of the
ground and many of the stalks will get trod-
den into the mud. l have found that cattle
do not like stalks as well in warm weather
as they do in cold; also, that ii they get
either wet or muddy the value OF stalks for
food IS very much reduced; consequently
commences feeding stalks early in the season
aud intend to dispose of them all before
warm weather comes.-Dirigo Rural.
why Hens Pick Each Others Feathers.
Your correspondent, W. j. Moore, in the
last issue OF the Mirror wishes to know the
cause OF hens picking the feathers from their
mates. This is question on which the best
authorities disagree, some holding that it is
caused by lack of meat or other stimulating
1000, while others assert that 1t is caused by
close confinement in small pens, etc. NV
own experience leads me to the conclusion
that it is simply a trick, as have never
known more than one or two in flock to ac-
quire the habit, and if it was caused by
ravenous appetite, there is no good reason
why one-half, or the whole flock even,
should not acquire the habit as well as few
vicious specimens. had Plymouth Rock
puiet 10 December last that commenced pick
ing feathers from the necks of others in the |
HOOK II was not for lack of meat, as they
were leo meat freely two or three times
week IL was not on account of close confine- |
ment, as the fowls had unlimited range, | |
LOOK the puet in hand and, with a sharp |
knife, cut OFT the sharp outer flange of the |
bill, to prevent her getting a hold on the |
feathers this checked her for few days, at
the end of which time the habit was resumed |
then procured one of Loomis's poultry bits
which are manufactured for this purpose. and |
applied this to her mouth she has not pulled |
any feathers from that time to this, With |
the exception of one Brown Leghorn. the |
above is the only case OF the kind that have |
been troubled with this season in flock of |
250 hens. If the hen that acquires this habit /
is valuable for breeding, | would apply the /
poultry bit; If not, / would cut her head off |
at once.-COr. Mirror and Farmer.