Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1884-10-02
.QIhe Auulhy nard.
THE USE OF LIME.

All wild birds in state of liberty are able
to get enough lime from the natural food
which they procure, to answer the require
ments OF the system in the formation of egg
shells. But they have an unrestricted diet,
being able to select every kind of food that
is to be found anywhere on their beat. In
this way they get enough lime, besides they
do not lay any more eggs than they can
cover tor incubation, and therefore need
comparatively little eggshell material.
Our domesticated birds have, however.
acquired a habit of prolific laying, that has
become sort of ''second nature" With
this great demand for shell material goes,
in many cases, a restricted range and a re-
strcted diet, unlimited in quantity, perhaps,
but lacking a great many things that the
wild bird can easily pick up. Hence lime
in some special form should not be omitted.
OF course all grains and vegetables contain
considerable quantity of lime, but the fact
that laying fowls devour shells and bones
greediy, shows that they do not get enough
of this ingredient in their grain.
Every poultry keeper knows that occas-
ionally fowl in a flock will lay soft-shelled
eggs, which are not only valueless tor the
purpose of incubation, but are often broken
in the nests, and then this state of things
brings about the vice of egg-eating. A
great deal has been said and written about
the cause of sott-shelled eggs, but we re-
mark here that it is not necessarily in every
case a scarcity OF the shell material, but it
may be a diseased or impaired state Of the
reproductive system of the bird which
occasions these soft shells. 1t has been no.
ticed that soft shells are laid by fowls that
are injured through excessive fatness, and
sometimes, apparently, the trouble is caused
by long continued laying which seems to
make such demand on the stock of vitali-
ty as to cause arrangements. Hence we
receive many times in the course of year
letters asking. "What is the matter with
my fowls; they have all they want to eat,
plenty of oyster-shells, pounded bones, old
mortar, and so forth, yet they lay thin
shelled eggs?"
In such cases the remedy is to pay atten-
oICll " Vic SclGIdl CIldllSC lllS ul6lll-
cd of feeding, and give plenty of green food
if you have not already been doing this.
Look we'll to the conditions of health. such
as out-ot-door exercise, air and sunshine.
In some cases a cure will not be effected till
after the fowl has completed her laying and
had resting spell.
In regard TO the supply of egg-shell ma
terial, if you live near the seashore there is
little difficulty; you can collect the material
yourself, on the beach, or if you are away
from the coast shells may be shipped at an
expense of less than half dollar per barrel
probably, for quite distance into the inter
ior by freight. As our readers well know,
oyster-shells are sent for this purpose from
the towns where great quantity of oysters
are opened, the shells having first been
ground by parties who make this business.
Also old shells OF minute species of mol
lusks are barreled for shipment, which
from their small size do not need to be pull
verized. Advertisements, both of ground