Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-09-21
POULTRY IN CONFINEMENT.
A System of Feeding and Care Which II
said to BE Almost Perfect.

A system of Feeding and Care which Il
Said to he Almost Perfect.
1t becomes problem with many
persons who raise fowls for either
pleasure or profit how to keep them
as becomes necessary in confinement
during considerable part of the year,
and yet have them do well. There is
a certain amount of fresh vegetable
and animal food which they gather
when running at large, and which
seems almost essential to their well
| being.
But in their continued daily foraging
expeditions the early vegetables have
to suffer, and the garden beds as well
as the tender plants are apt to be torn
up, for they somehow have a penchant
for directing their destructive ener-
gies to the tidiest and most attract
i've beds and choicest plats in the gar
den; and the bright, bejeweled heads
and spangled plumage of the intruders
lose somewhat of their beauty and at
Effectiveness when discovered wallow-
ing in your bed of early cucumbers.
squashes or melons, and disportine
their nimble toes and bills in the favor
lite beds of succulent greens. Yet if in
justice to the garden the poultry is
shut up in their small quarters. now
they almost pine away and beg their
freedom of you until human nature can
hardly deny them longer 1t resolves
itself then into a question either of
confinement of the poultry or de-
str,ictiOn of the garden, and the
former alternative is generally
chosen. Then comes the problem as
to what sort of feed can be furnished
them to approximate their out door
bill of fare, for something like that
seems necessary to keep them in good
condition, and more contented in the
enforced confinement to which they
are subjected.
While it is not likely that any diet
AIRY system could be found to take the
place of that picked up by fowls rum
| ming at large, yet we think from our own
experience that very good substitute
can be given. In the first place variety
of the staple feed grain should be af-
forded. For breakfast, we'll scalded
corn meal, mixed some times with oat
meal. barley meal or wheat bran, about
one part OF either of the latter kinds
with two parts of the corn meal, which
should always be used as basis, and
alternating weekly or 80 with the 9TH
ers. A light feed should be given at
noon. also, for fowls in confinement,
which may consist of cracked corn and
cracked or whole wheat, about equal
parts, or wheat screenings; about two
or three times a week some kind of
vegetable diet should be afforded, as
chopped potatoes (the small ones will
do), chopped cabbage, onions, grass
and clover, or any other substances
from the garden which is relished by
them. But such articles should be
chopped up well so they can be
readily swallowed. and seasoned
with little salt and pepper, or AL
occasional handful Of ground ginge
or fenugreek, which are good stimu
lants and tend to keep the flock in fin,
plumage and condition. Dried an,
ground beef scraps | also mix in tn,
vegetable mass; and have found the
desiccated dried fish scraps very ex.
cellent, supplying phosphorus ano
other needed elements for the system
and to assist in egg production. 1t il
we'll to have box of oyster shells ano
some ground bone within reach and /;
access is not had to the gravel,
ground, some small gravel stones
should be provided.
We have thus limited at a system OF
feeding and care by which we claim
fowls may be kept in confinement dur
ing the laying and breeding season
and yet kept in good condition, made
to lay we'll, and produce eggs of excel
lent fertility. OF course it is not en-.
pected that every thing mentioned
| should be done and provided, but a
| general course of procedure has been
laid down that will be successful.
| And this with the poultry doing
well in confinement, and the garden
growing and prospecting, under the
genial influence of sunshine and
shower, unmolested by the depredat-
ing feet OF the spoiler, the happy vii
lager and his contented flock can
await with pleasure the incoming OF
the garden products whose abundance
will we'll repay the care and attention
given them. C. Harris, iss Ohio
Farmer.
AT Lone Pine, Inyo County, Cal,
| T.. Il