The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1885-05-16
POULTRY KEEPING.
Tho Food Requisite to secure Continued
Egg-producti0n.

fSN Ipil'llphs J.
Naturally any birdproducc eggs mere.
y for the purpose of reproduction Of the
species and in only sufficient quantity
for incubation aud the rearing of the
young brood. A hen by a long process
OF domcstication has had its natural
disposition in this direction changed
very much, just as in the case with
cows, which produce milk for Il much
longer period than nature really calls
for for the rearing of u calf. The do.
nestle hen has been educated or trained
to lay eggs during nearly the whole
year, instead Of for only n month or
so in the spring. This training has been
carried on for a very long period. and
u Is only during a comparatively recent
time that the hen has become so product.
i've rs II now is. II is not uncommon
o for y hen 10 produce one hundred
and twenty eggs in a year and TO con.
tlnue laying for ten years. II has been
recorded OF q brown Leghorn hen that
she laid over two thousand eggs in
eleven years. Such n case however Is
quite exceptional. and ut a moderate
estimate a hens proiuctiycness might
be taken rs equivalent to one hundred
and twenty eggs for three years. after
which, as a rule, it will not pay to keep
her any longer. This product, howey.
or. is equivalent to n product OF three
times the hens own weight yearly. and
this, OF course, can not be expected
without q very liberal feeding Of such
food as will supply all the cle-
ments OF the egg. An egg is the
most concentrated form OF animal
matter. II contains all the elements
OF q living animal, and in addition a
large excess IN the form Of the shell.
which Is It's natural protection. Neces-
sarily everything that is in the EGG
must be supplied in the food, so that
feeding for eggs is n subject that the
poultry keeper should study very care.
fully. An egg is rich in various de
ments that are mol generally under.
stood. For instance, Il contains a large
proportion Of sulphur, the dccomposi.
ton Of which produces the m~alodorous
sulphuretted hydrogen which gives to
decayed eggs their exceedingly OBJ
jectionable character. An egg also
contains n large proportion Of oil,
phosphorus, lime and nitrogen. The
she'll is nearly all lime. Moreover. the
character of n hens digestive ap-
paratus is to be considered; for, as n
hen has no teeth, these necessary parts
OF the digestive apparatus have TO be
provided for IN another way. This Is
by q part of the stomach known n the
gizzard, an exceedingly strong II
cular organ. which Is provided with
hard, rough, corrugated surfaces that
act precisely as the grinding surfaces
of a grain mill. To facilitate this
grinding or masticulating process. the
hen swallows gravel and small stones,
by which the hardest food. first soft
oned in the crop. Is trituratcd and ~.
duced to pulp. This peculiarly OF ttc
hen makes II necessary to furnish her
with a supply Of gravel. and, If this
consists Of limestone. II will serve the
purpose of nutriment and supply need
ell lime, as well as perform the
requisite mechanical action in The
gizzard.
The greatest mistake In feeding foyls
Is overlooking. Hens are gorged with
food which makes II fat, instead OF rio-
viding those elements which nc to
make up the egg. Corn consists alipost
wholly of starch and oil. and while il Il
n good food for ~fattening fowls II i. one
of the worst of all foods for producing
eggs. No one food contains ah the
needed elements, and n mixture OF Sari-
on kinds should be given. II Is quito
possible that the production oi eggs
may be largely increased BY a truly
scientific system of feeding. aud tho
ordinary poultry keeper should make a
study Of such n system. moi being
alarmed at the idea Of the scientific
part OF II. because science Is nothing
more than perfectly right and exact
practice, and Is nothing that a.y ordi.
nary sensible person need to be afraid
of.
The following foods contain all the
elements that exist neggs; Oats wheat,
barley. corn. bran. linseed. hemp seed.
rape seed, crushed frcsh bones. mustard
seed. green cabbage aud clover, and a
reasonable mixture of all these varied
more or les. with the aid Of crushed
limestone and gypsum would Afford
every element called for 10 produce a
constant yield Of eggs. A large
quantity Of broken fresh bones l. one
OF the most important aids. and with
wheat. barley. broken linseed oil cake
and mustard seed and plenty Vi green
vegetables and water. viii provide
everything that Is required But fnod
alone J. not enough. and there arr some
other neces<arie< which vii b. men,
Toned hereafter. : H<p~y sfs~rarf. -