Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1892-01-21
11RM AND HOUSEHOLD.
.,our FURNISHING GRIT FOOD
FOR POULTRY. u
.,..u. Of Broken Dishes-Fat Grobules
in Cows Miik-Clover - = Rssd-
Dairy Notes aud House.
held Helps.
Grdt-rood for Pc ultry.

Grdt-r Food for Pc ultry.
This is one OF the essentials too
,,ten forgotten. or nearly overlooked
mon many . farm and in some in
stances, it seems to be an unknown
commodity Invariably the result of
such neglect. is a very small number
~ eggs in proportion to the number of
hens about the place. Many times we
hear the complaint my hens are not
LAYING we'll, at ALL ana I don't see
WV, for they have plenty to eat no
,.ck of water, and I'm sure / take
GOOD care of them" Have they also
nlenty of grit-food?" we ask. Many
times we are met with a look OF blank
astoplshment and then the query
What is grit.foodP" This very
query solves the mystery, for where
this actually necessary part of hens
daily diet is not known to be a neces-
sity, nor the word understood, 1t is
small wonder that the hens do not
lay at all we'll.
Poultry men and poultry raisers
long ago gave US the Information that
fowls given all the grains and variety
OF food they wished and needed. would
vet starve to death. II confined where
they could not have access to grit-food
OF some sort The crop-ful of raw
material. must first be ground before
it can be utilized to any advantage
whatever, and without some form Of
grit for this grinding process how
could the different hinty grains be
reduced and made into an available
form?
Then, II we would have the egg
basket kept filed to overfowing. it
stands one in hand to keep their hens
we'll supplied with grit in various
forms. A flock Of poultry will soon
have exhausted the natural resources
OF a farm that is not Of a sandy nature
or at least such portions of that farm
as comes within the limit OF their
forage ground, for they are not sup
posed to roam over the whole surface
OF a l6O-acre farm. There is then no
other way than to furnish supply
for them. A trip to sand bank oc-
casionally. after a load of gravel for
them. is one way to supply the defic.
iencies OF the soil for their needs.
Then we read a great deal about old
plaster being good for them. But this
material is not always possible to get;
neither is it necessity IL something
else is provided in its place, and in
fact we do provide these very same
materials. by having a sand pile for
them to run to, and dried. water.
Stacked lime. 1t is only in different
form. but just as good.
But the grit-food that they are par
ticularly fond OF. and that l have
found to be the most valuable grind
ing material OF all is found in broken
dishes. When l find time to keep
plenty OF this sort Of grit before
them. writes Mrs Nellie Hawks in the
Ohio Farmer. find a very marked
increase in the dozens of eggs pro-
duced But 1t takes some time to
break it up and they are not always
well supplled-they. the hens and
are sometimes obliged to resort to the
sand pile. think shall have to in
vent a machine of some kind that
will reduce broken crockery to avail.
able grit-sized bits. At present my
outfit for the purpose is this: a large
piece OF old railroad iron and heavy
hatchet or hammer. These are kept
beside the gravel pile, and seated
upon an inverted low box. ! break uI
the pieces of broken dishes. crockery
and pieces Of glass OF all kinds The
first crash of the hammer upon the
& ~ hot m
whole fock OF chicks big and little.
They all understand that note as soor
as sounded, and an immediate response
is the result. 1t is really a comical sigh
to see them coming from all directions
each one bent upon getting there
first We have right social time o.
it for they talk to me as they eat ano
pick around, and enjoy it as much as
they do. They have decided prefer
ence in choice OF the kind OF broker
crockery too. Their first choice Ii
bits OF table-dishes; second choice
heavy plain white glass. and thire
choice. crockery. Colored glass they
will pick up when there is nothing
else. But lot there be pile OF glass
and crockery broken up. and they Of
busily eating. the minute the bits De
gin to fly from the lron OF tableware
there is a general scramble and hgh
for them. and they are all picked III
before they will return to the glas
again. Indeed. they like table war;
so we'll that I am often tempted u
break up housekeeping in their favor
Every time l break dish. HUSBAND
says. with q laugh. ''You did that Of
purpose. so your hens could have tn
bits for grit" :.
Any way. 1 console myself with IN
thought that even broken dishes ar
good for something and l must con
Tess my thoughts Immediately tur
chicken ward. and I imagine them re
joicing at my bad luck" But plent
Of grit in some FORM my poultry mus
always have; and when the gravel-pli
begins to look pretty we'll picked over
more attention is given to breaking u
dishes and glass, until there Is tim I'm
from thu fields for another trip 10 III