The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-05-09
CLOVER FOR CHICKENS.
Its Value and Adaptability as Special
Poultry Food.
IP. IL. Jacobs, HammontOn, n. J.l

IP IL. Jacobs, HammOntOn, n. il
The man who would feed his cow grain
with no hay, and expect her to yield
largely of milk, would be considered as
deficient in the knowledge necessary to
secure from his COW all that she is capable
Of giving. The blunders of poultry men
are worse, for they require the hen to
perform more service, proportionateiy,
than the COW, and allow her fewer OppOr-
tunities for fulfilling that expectation.
At this enlightened day the farmer feeds
his soil with special fertilizers for particu-
lar crops, and separates his reproducing
breeds from those that yield largely OF
milk, and even draw a distinct line
between the wool producing and mutton
stock for special purposes, but he leaves
his hens to derive from grain that which is
not in the grain and without which his
hens are Improbable.
But the poultry man progressed to a
certain extent when he made use OF the
bOne-mill, and his profits were further
increased when the hens were recognized
as entitled to comfortable quarters in
winter. Now the poultry man has discov-
cred that he can no more feed his hen OH
grain alone than he should his COW, and
he also finds that it will be only One-half
the expense to feed hay and grain to hens
than grain alone, with more eggs as the
The hens can secure large quantity Of
green food in summer, if they have range,
but when there is no longer an opportunity
for them to do so we must supply them
something for that purpose. 1t is the
6utE, the material for reducing the con-
centrated form of grain food. that is
required. Grain contains some elements
that are essential and the use OF grain
shOu Id be continued, but in feeding grain
it should be used to supply any deficiency
in the bulky food and to balance the ration,
SO as to render it a complete egg food. TO
be plain, you should feed for eggs, and
not for fat.
The hens often fail in providing the
shells for their eggs. especially, if fed on
grain Why is this? Simply because over
100 grains Of lime are needed for each egg,
in order to produce the shell, the bones of
the chick, ETC., and as 1000 pounds OF
wheat or corn contain less than pound OF
lime, the hen can not secure the lime. Just
think of it, One must feed a ton of wheat
in order to furnish the lime for ten dozen
eggs. Yet, with this deficiency, the hens
are condemned because they can not
produce something from nothing. FOrtu-
nately, we have learned that the best
food for hens is hay. Glover lred or whiteJ
is best, but we can feed corn fodder,
meadow, timothy, or any kind. but clover
is preferred. While half a ton of corn or
wheat produces less than pound of lime,
White clover CONTAINS over ~ tlulcS rs
much, and red clover about % times as
much. Glover will supply all the lime
the hen requires, and as a flesh former and
albumen producer clover contains II per
cent and corn a fraction over 10 per cent.
1t is, therefore. equal to corn or wheat,
pound for pound, as tlesh-forming nitro
genOus food. Corn, however, contains sc
per cent. of heat elements, and clover So
per cent. OF the phOSphateS clover contains
seven times as much as corn, ten times as
much sulphur, ten times as much magnesia,
four times as much soda, and fully as
much dry matter. With SO complete a
food aSclOver hay, lone especially adapted
for producing eggsI is it not plain that for
years back the farmers have been feeding
hens in the most expensive manner, and
deprving them OF the very food most
A. Mortimer, of Pottsyille, Pa, who
keeps ? 900 pure bred fowls, and who feeds
scientifically, states that had he known Of
the clover hay food for hens four years
ago he could have saved 81 900, and that
since he began its use he finds fewer sick
hens. more eggs are laid, the males are
more vigorous and potent, and the eggs
hatch we'll.
Unfortunately for the hen she pulls her
food from plants. Give hen mess Of
clover hay, thrown into her yard loosely,
and she can not eat it. She must have one
end of the stalk fastened to the ground, as
she can not pull off the leaves if the stalk
yields to her efforts. She can 90 into the
field and pull from the standing grass, but
after it is cut she can not eat it except at
the, risk OF swallowing pieces several
inches long, which may cause her to
become crop'bound but if the hay is cut
into short lengths she can pick it up the
same as she does corn or wheat.
Glover hay may be cut fine and fed dry, but