The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-11-01
Feeding Hens.

II they begin to lay before they gel
very fat. the service of egg production
calls for nutrition, and the food is di.
verted in that direction, consequently
the young hen will not fatten so easily
after she begins tolay as though she had
not commenced, but should she become
over-fat without laying, it is puzzling
matter to the breeder how to reduce
her in flesh again without injury. An
over-fat fowl is nuisance, for should
it lay at all the eggs rarely hatch, and
if few chicks come from them they
will be weak and hard to raise. The
hen herself becomes diseased, soon
breaks down and is an eyesore to the
whole flock. The cocks are not exempt.
When too fat they are unserviceable,
impotent and sterile, and might as well
be cooped up for all they are worth. In
fact, they really do damage by injuring
the hens, and in no manner are they
profitable except for market.
Undertaking is another evil not
that we mean to infer that the fowls
are usually not supplied with a suffi-
cheney of food, such as it is. but fowls
may be underfed while reveling ap-
parently in the midst of plenty. Elk.
clusively corn is terrible infliction to
flock, and actual physical suffering is
the consequence when certain elements
are lacking in the necessary require
ments of the system when it is forced
to produce particular article from
materials not adapted to the purposes
intended. No kind OF machinery is
capable of weaving silk goods from
hemp. nor can steam engines be built
of cotton. A hen can not produce eggs
if lime is Stacking, nor can she supply the
growth of her own body when the prod.
uct takes possession of that which
should support herself. Nature gives
her what we call au appetite, which is
only an indication OF that which she re-
quires, and we are all familiar with the
habits of most fowls, and notice that
when we change the food they accept
the new variety readily. Feeding is
the art of supplying the proper food,
not so much in quantity as in quality.
If we watch the fowls they will easily
tell US what they desire. If you are
feeding corn throw down a few hand
fuls Of oats. Ii they greedily take the
oats and leave the corn. it indicates
that they require something else. Try
grass. meat, ground bone, pounded
oyster shells, cooked vegetables :
all of which they will accept
or reject according to their re-
quirements. Feed regularly, and
never feed more than they will eat
up clean. They will walk away from
the food as soon as they have enough.
Never leave it on the ground. Feed
early and late, and let them get hun
cry; that is, have regular intervals be-
tween meals. The practice of keeping
feed by them all the time promotes an
excess of fat Allow as much exercise
as possible. Throw hay on the floor or
in the yard, place in it few handfuls
of some kind of grain that they do not
receive often, and let them hunt and
scratch for it. Feed growing chicks
literally. avoiding too much corn. Oats
ground and fed warm in the morning is
one of the best feeds that can be given.
Always give whole grains at night. In
summer give no corn except once or
twice week. Vegetables and grass is
much better for them. Laying hens
must have meat or milk, Eggs cannot
be produced without heterogeneous mate
rial in some shape. Bones are almost
absolutely essential. Above all. how
ever, give pure, clean, fresh drinking
water. -S0uthern Stock Journal.