Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1888-12-06
FEEDING as a SCIENCE.


Treatment Of Over-Fed Hen.
Il costs something TO learn. and yet
the expense Of learning might b.
saved II pOyiltrymen would only stop
20 think. The first point is TO deter
rnins what the hens need. for their
needs are exactly in accordance With
what you intend the hens to accom-
plish- Some persons feed their hens
as though there was only one sys-
tcrnatie method 10 b. followed. When
in fact there are several modes. all de-
pending upon what you wish tho hens
20 do II a hen Is fed to enable her 10
accomplish a certain purpose. it Is ex-
travagance 10 feed her in n manner TO
prevent her fulfilling the object
sought. Yet this i done every day.
and on nearly all farms in this coun-
try. The hen Is like the mich COW
when not producing something the
food i diverted to flesh When tho
COW + dried of she more readily be-
comes fat than when in full flow OF
milk. and when the hen i not laying
she. too. readily becomes fat A
fat COW. fat SOW. or fat mare i m
indifferent breeder. and 20 Is the fat
hen Every farmer knows that II he
fed his CO.'S exclusively on corn-meal.
without hay. they would become worth
less First they will fatten. and next
they will suffer Indigestion from a diet
that i too concentrated. The milk
flow would gradually cease. and loss
would be the result The hen Is no
more fitted for an exclusive grain diet
than the COW. \ distinction must be
made between hens that are intended
for layers and those being prepared
for the market. The two classes do
not belong in the same yard. They
simply Interfere with each other
The old routine OF corn and wheat
for the hens Is gradually being aban-
d0ned. and with the advent OF pure
breeds a more advanced system OF feed
ing is being practiced- Chemistry has
already demonstrated that the egg Is
composed Of certain materials. and
that foods are Of variable COM
position. Such being the case.
the ultryman is now enabled to Sc
lect foods that contain the substances
mostly required. and by varied feeding
he can secure better results than by
the old haphazard manner. With the
Use of certain breeds. and feeds adapt
cd to the purpose, the hens can be
made to lay from the time they are
matured until the season arrives when
they must moult- The incubatins
fever can be entirely avoided by
!uGiciOus feeding. a has been done by
experiment. or hens can De so fed that
they will lay but few. if any eggs.
The old plan IS extrayagant. as it per-
TDits of feeding such material As l. not
only wasted b. reason of not being re-
CURED. but because there is also a loss
81 eggs when any other food than that
demanded l. allowed There IS no
mystery about it. for all the art TO be
gained Is that of simply feeding food
OF a variety. making grass or bulky
food the main reliance, with a small
proportion of grain to balance it. in
stead Of feeding grain exclusively.
When hens are Overfed. some that
have 4 tendency To fatten quickly will
become fat sooner than others. and yet.
II they are in the yard with the laying
hens. they viii eat just a much. and
become fatter- The hens that are lay
Ing viii then have to produce all the
profit. and often the whole flock Is con-
demned a. Improbable because one
half Of them are non-prOducers. though
the others may be among the very best
layers 10 be found The fat hens do
the layers an injustice aud injury. and
should De taken out to be allotted n
Location where they can be put into
training service. which means that
they should BE- - sparinsiy ted that
they Kill b. only too glad to work and
scratch for the few grains they receive,
and IN - doing reduce themselves in
as=-h and get into laying condition
again- Feed less grain a-.d more bulk.
Il matters not what Il Is. provided the
hens are kept busily at work and ara
Il good health \ good hen should
ne ser be idle When she runs to YOU
for food Il i Just the time she should
not rses.saivsa II -n1frysF Nr1r Ynrkrr