The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-01-04

ried by giving chopped clover ana CAD
bage, aided by cooked potatoes or tur-
nips. Variety does not necessarily
compel you to purchase great many diff
ferent kinds, but means that you should
not give the same food at every meal.
FEED AT REGULAR INTERVALS.
During the winter months the days
are very short and the nights long;
hence the times of feeding should be
so regulated as to have as equal an in
terval between meals as possible. We
do not recommend three meals day,
but two. If the hens are fed before
seven O'Clock in the morning it is some
times too dark for them to eat, and as
they will go to roost at shutdown they
must be fed soon after four in the af-
ternoon. This causes an interval OF
fourteen hours at night and about ten
hours interval during the day, which
cannot be avoided, but the hens
should be fed in the morning as early
as they can see to eat and as late at
night as possible. Hard grains must
first be ground in the crop before they
reach the digestive organs, and if hard
grains are fed in the morning it will be
but by feeding warm, soft food in the
morning the birds are benefited not
only by the warmth, but by reason of
the food being in ready condition for
digestion. AS the long interval of the
night gives plenty of time for digestion
the hard grains are best, and if the food
can be given at regular intervals so
much the better.
SULPHUR IN THE FOOD.
Sulphur is a dangerous substance to
feed during damp or cold weather. In
fact there is no more reason for feed
ing it to the hens than to human beings,
except as a medicine. Because an egg
when decomposed gives off the odor of
sulphurated hydrogen gas is no reason
for feeding sulphur to hens. The real
proportion of sulphur in the egg is
very little, as it takes but very small
amount of solid material to create
large volume of gas. Every ounce of
food contains more sulphur than is re-
quired by the fowl. No plant exists
that does not contain it either in COM
bination as sulphide, sulphite or sui
phate, or in the free condition. Avoid
it unless when you think it absolutely
necessary, when sickness exists, or
your fowls will have rheumatism or
weak legs, as it is as much mineral
poison as calomel.
GROUND CORN AND OATS.
Oats are seldom ground except in
connection with corn, as there is some
difficulty in grinding oats alone. One
part corn and two parts oats are the
proportions by measure, but by weight
the proportions are nearly the same,
owing to oats being much lighter than
corn. The mixed food is better than
either alone.
BONE-MEAL AS FOOD.
There is much necessary material in
nomenclature, phosphoric acid and
nitrogen. In feeding bone-meal you
supply greater number of essential
elements than is done with any other
kind of food. But it need not be an
expensive diet. Considering it's advan-
tages, it is the cheapest substance that
can be given. The usual price is about
three cents pound, and an ounce a
day is enough for dozen hens. 1t may
be kept before them in little box or
given in the soft food. Being so cheap,
there is no necessity for emitting it at
any time. Give it plentifully.
TABLE SCRAPS.
With the aid of the scraps from the
table small flock may be kept almost
without expense, and every family
should keep few hens to consume the
table scraps. No roosters are necessary,
and if only one or two hens are kept
the eggs secured will pay for the scraps.
This is better than feeding the refuse
from the table to worthless dogs, or the
keeping of three or four cats. If the
hens are liable to cause extra attention
then give the children some Bantams,
as the little pets lay very large eggs in
proportion to size. There is pleasure
in keeping a few hens, even as pets,
and as they may be made profitable, as
well as provide fresh eggs, let the
scraps be so utilized and do not waste
them.
ADVANTAGES OF TROUGHS.
By feeding in troughs much waste is
avoided. If food is thrown on the
ground quantity of it is finally lost by
being trampled into the dirt while
another portion is lost by becoming too
fine Gf soft food) to be picked up. BY
feeding in troughs the poultryman can
tell how much is left over, which, if
at once removed, especially in cool
weather, may be saved and fed at
another meal. Whenever the hens
have eaten enough they will walk off
and leave the food. AS soon as the last
hen has had her share remove that
which is left over. After so feeding
for a short time the exact quantity may
be measured and fed to them.
STARVE THEM DOWN.
If the hens are very fat starve
them until they become poor rather
than allow them to remain in the fat
condition. For market the fat hen is
best, but for laying the hen in moder-
ate or even poor condition is better
than the fat hen. The only food the
] FL L. L