The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1892-01-02
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
ABOUT FURNISHING GRIT FOOD
FOR POULTRY.
Virtue Of Broken Dishes--Eat Giobuies
IA Cows Nrk--Ciossr "a - Feed
Dairy >otes and House
hold Helps



such neglect is very small number
OF eggs in proportion 70 the number OF
hens about the place. Many times We
hear the complaint my hens are not
laying well. at all; and ! don't see
why, for they have plenty TO eat no
lack OF wator and Tn sure ! take
good care OF them" Have they also
plenty OF grit-food?' we ask Many
times we are met with look OF blank
nstonlshment ard then the query
what Is grit-food?" This very
query solves the mystery. for where
this actually necessary part OF hens
daily diet Is not known 10 be n neces-
sity. nor the word understood II 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
fowla given all the grains aud variety
OF food they wished and needed would
yet starve 10 death. il confined whore
they could not have access 10 grit food
OF some sort The crop-ful OF raw
material. must first DO ground before
IL can be utilized TO any advantage
whatever and without sosle ..arHf' Of
grit for thls~grindlng procoss how
could Che different hinty grains be
reduced and made into an available
formp
Then. II we would have the egg
basket kept filed TO Overlooking IL
stands Que 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 u sandy nature
or at least such portions OF that farm
as comes within the limit OF their
fcrage-ground. for they arc not sup
posed TO roam over tho whole sur.aco
OF 60 acre farm. There is then no
other way than 10 furnish IL supply
for them. A trip TO n sand-hank oc-
casionally, after load OF gravel for
them. Is one way 20 supply the defc-
ieucies 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 IL a necessity II something
else is provided in its place and in
fact we do provide these very Same
materials. by having sand-pio for
them 70 run 10, and dried. water
Stacked lime. 1t is only in a different
form, but just rs good.
But the grit-food that they are par
ticularly fond Of and that | have
found 20 be the most valuable grind
ing material of all. is found in broken
dishes. When | find time TO keep
plenty OF this sort OF grit before
them. writes Mrs Nellie Hawks in the
Ohio Farmer | find very marked
increase In the dozens OF eggs pro-
duced. But it takes some time To
break it up aud they are not always
we'll uppled-they the hens. and
are sometimes Obliged TO resort to tho
sand pile. / think | shall have 10 in
vent machine OF some kind that
will reduce broken crockery TO avail
able grit-sized bits. Az present my
outfit for tho purpose is this: large
piece OF old railroad iron and n heavy
Ratchet or hammer These are kept
beside the gravel pile. and seated
upon an inverted low box. | break up
the pieces OF broken dishes crockery
and pieces of glass OF all kinds. The
first crash OF tho hammer upon the
iron is the signal that musters my
whole flock OF chicks. big and lit1le.
They all understand that note ms soon
as sounded. and an immediate response
is the result It's really comical sight
TO see them coming from all directions.
each one bent upon getting there
first Wo have right social time OF
IL for they talk to mo as they cat and
pick around and | en-. oy IL as much "a
they do. They have decided prefer
cnco in choice OF the kind OF broken
crockory too Their first choice is
bits OF table-dishes; second choice.
heavy plain white glass. aud third
choice, crockery. Colorcd glass they
will pick up whom there Is nothing
else. But let there be a pile OF glass
and croclScry broken up and they be
busily eating. the minute the bits be-
gin 10 fly from tho iron Of tableware
there is "a general scramble and fight
for them, and they are all picked up
before they will return to the glass
again Indeed they like tableware
so we'll that | am often tempted TO
break up housekeeping in their favor.
Every time ] break dish. husband
says with laugh. you did that on
purpose, so your hens could have the
bits for grit"
Any way / console myself with tho
thought that even broken dishes are
good for something, and / must con-
fcss my thoughts Immediately turn
chicken-ward. and imagine them re-
ioicing at my dad luck" But plenty
OF grit in some form my poultry must
always have; and when the gravel-pilo
begins TO look pretty well picked over
more attention is given 10 breaking up
dishes and glass. until there Is time
from tho fields for another trip 10 the
sand bank. / have often hired little
boys in town 10 gather up the pieces OF
broken ware back OF the stores paying
them so much per bushel basketful.
They are always glad 20 earn n few
dimes and find the dimes all well
| invested.