The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-01-10
Feeding Hens.

If they begin to lay before they ore,
very fat. the service Of egg production
calls for nutrition, and the food is di
verified 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 pulling
matter to the breeder how to reduce
her In flesh again without injury. An
over-fat fowl is nuisance, for should
itlay at all the eggs rarely hatch, and
If few chicks come from themsthey
viii 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 we'll
be cooped up for all they are worth. In
fact, they really do damage by iniuring
the hens, and in no manner are they
profitable except for market.
Understanding is another evil; not
that we mean to infer that the fowls
are usually not supplied with q suiii-
ciency of food, such as it is, but fo9ls
may be underfed while reveling an
parently in the midst of plenty. Ex-
clusively corn is q terrible infiction to
q 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 Il
capable of weaving silk goods from
hemp, nor can steam engines be built
of cotton. A hen can not produce eggs
II llme is stacking, nor can she supply the
growth of her own body when the prod
act takes possession of that which
should support herself. Nature gives
her what we call an 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 oualitv'
If we watch the fowls thew will easily
tell us what they desire. If you are
feeding corn throw down few hand
fuls of oats. II they greedily take the
pats and leave the corn, it indicates
that they require something else. TRY
grass, meat, ground bone, pounded
oyster shells, cooked vegetables
sll of which they will accept
Or reject according to their re-
luirements., Feed regularly, and
never feed more than they will eat
up clean. They win walk away from
he food as soon as they have enough.
Never leave it on the ground. Feed |
'arly and late, and let them get hun
ny; that is, have regular intervals be-
ween meals. The practice of keeping
eed by them all the time promotes an |
Ixcess Of fat. Allow as much exercise
8 possible. Throw hay on the floor or !
a the yard, place in it few handfuls |
4 some kind of grain that they do not
eceive often. and let them hunt and |
cratch for it. Feed growing chicks
berally, avoiding too much corn. Oats
round ahd4ed warm in the morning is
az Of Che best feeds that can be given.
llways give whole grains at night. In
nmmer give no corn except once or
vice week. Vegetables and grass is
luch better for them. Laying hens
lust have meat or milk. Eggs cannot
Q produced without heterogeneous mate
al in some shape. Bones are almost
bsolutely essential. Above all, how
ver. give pure, clean. fresh drinking
alter. -Southern Stock Journal.