Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-05-16
Feeding and Care ofPoultry.

As we enter new year many things
suggest themselves in the way of COM
parison which leave pleasant recol-
lections in the minds of those who
have grown gray in the poultry bust
ness, SAYS Joseph Wallace in the
Country Gentleman. Some years ago
the culture of poultry was in its in
fancy, and few of the self-assumed
knowing ones" had much faith in it,
because fowls were undervalued as a
means of profit Or as a source of
pleasure and recreation. They, of all
domestic animals. received the small
est share of attention; and the few who
embarked in the enterprise of breeding
improved varieties had laudable OBJ
jects in view to benefit their fellow
men, though they were laughed at for
their hobby.
Those who seem most Indifferent to
pure-bred fowls are generally the
farming class. Why it is, battles our
philosophy. The farmer should be
first to adopt improvement in live
stock. He is more directly interested
in such improvement than the mer-
chant, the mechanic or the cottager,
because he has ample facilities for the
use and keeping of such stock, as they
largely aid him in his labor and con-
tribute toward competence and wealth.
No one who has to labor for living
should slight small industries. Happy
would it be for the bulk of the work
ing class if they turned part of their
attention to some such industry. AS
countries grow old, the rich become
oh nd IL ~
gulf between poverty and wealth must
be bridged by economy and Industry.
There is no royal road to wealth but
what is paved by the twin handmaids
economy and industry. The time will
come when the artisan, cottager and
ruralist must add to their pursuits
some such industry as poultry or bee
culture. Many a time have | studied
the French and Belgian resources of
industry; many time have witnessed
the zeal, alacrity and attention these
peasant women and youths of both
sexes gave to home industries. FIocks
of poultry. turkeys, ducks and geese
were cared for as they should be, with
the view of making them profitable,
and with the object of bringing in
annual returns, like their horses, cat
tie. and crops.
If you desire your fowls to do their
best you must assist them in one
way or another. | do not mean
by this that you should coddle, PAM
per and fuss with them at all times,
and give them more attention than you
do to yourself or family. Regularity in
management should follow regularity
in feeding. Feeding poultry just when
you think of it, or get around to it is
poor policy. On the no-care. noticed
plan, dearth of eggs and good flesh is
sure to follow. He who regularly at
tends to their wants is the one who will
be the gamer at the end of the season.
Regularity and care help to make
poultry more valuable, as they do to
crops and larger domestic animals.
When fowls are environed by four
blank walls and limited in space, their
food should not be too strong or
fattening. BY far too much corn is
used by poultrymen, and not enough
of wheat, oats, barley, middlings, bran
and green food. Glover rowen for
winter use is valuable, owing to the
large percentage of albumen it con-
tains. Variety of food is essential to
the well-being and productiveness of
fowls. The composition of eggs re-
quires variety of material, and these
constituents are found in plain and
cheap food of one kind or another.
1t is difficult to lay down rules re-
garding quantity, for some fowls will
consume more food than do others.
One must use his own judgment, and
feed while they show eagerness and
good appetite, then quit. 1t is better
for health slightly to underfeed than to
overfeed. 1t is folly to surfeit fowls,
with the idea that a fatty condition of
the body is essential to egg-production
and vigorous offspring. Eggs laid by
overfat hens are usually thin-shelled.
and if the male is also fat they are apt
to be infertile; if fertile, the embryo
| dies in the shell, too weak to libers te
| itself when developed, or is puny and
delicate while growing.
During winter, bestow comfort,
proper care and food on YOUR stock.
Many poultryman has quit the bust
ness in disgust because he did not realize
expectations after pampered course
of feeding or from net properly at
tending to the wants of his fowls.
Comfortable shelter, variety of food,
cleanliness, pure air, light, agreeable
exercise, and regularity of feeding
and watering go great way toward
inducing fowls to lay, even in winter,
while they are the main essentials
which beautify, develop and perfect
the organism of all animal life.