Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-01-05

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| II
HgR 3ygNMeMl Experiment Station
N0 1lssssS96lN3N report: January /
/124AJlfl$NSR 1896, We began a
| MSS5&g EESSNNlH series Of expert
| kSSkzltS3 1 E$Y JNNl ments to deter
eEenEy a mine, IL possible
| V4&ks$SEM what eject, If any
| lg0BESEM,y heating the poul-
| XII OK try house would
| eHA~ have upon the pro-
duction Of eggs
and the food requirements. On De-
cember /, we put forty-slS
chickens. including several varie.
ties OF birds into the poultry
house. The weather at that time wa;
quite warm and they were fed per day
five pounds of feed in the morning and
two pounds in the evening, the morn
ing feed being table scraps, such as
meat, pieces Of bread, boiled and fried
potatoes, and such material as usually
comes from a boarding table. Their
ration of grain consisted Of wheat
screenings, which was composed prin-
cipally of small berries of wheat and
cracked wheat. AS the weather got
colder, their food gradually increased
until they took on the 31st day OF De-
cember eleven and three-fourths
pounds of scraps In the morning, and
eleven and half pounds of wheat in
the evening. During the month of
January the feed ration remained
about the same. January 20 large
stove was put into the house, and a
fire started with Ignite coal. On the
31st OF January the feed had decreas-
ed to six pounds in the morning and
eight and three-fourths in the even
ing. The last Of March four and half
pounds mornings and four and three
fourths evenings. The total amount Of
fuel burned from the goth of January
to the LIST Of April cost $3.50. During
the month of January previous to the
use of the stove, the average number
Of eggs per day was "a, the remain
ing of the month from the 21st to the
end, it was 3-11, showing the influ-
ence that heat exerted upon the pro-
duction Of eggs. The question natur-
ally arises, can the farmer, under the
conditions existing on the ordinary
farm, afford to take care Of his poultry
by furnishing artificial heat? An ex-
animation of the above figures shows
that but half the food Is consumed,
and that the egg production is more
than doubled. With eggs worth rs
cents per dozen at this season of the
year and food at the ordinary prices,
1t should seem to me that it would
not only be economy to heat the poul-
try house, but would be source Of
great profit, especially after arrange
ments had once been completed, so
that 1t would require but little extra
work.
Feeding for Eggs.-That food has as
much to do with the egg production as
1t has with beef or butter, there is but
little question. We placed two pens of
fowls, under exactly the same condi-
tons. as far as the temperature. room
and care were concerned, but fed them
with an entirely different object in
view. One pen we wished for breed
ing purposes and did not want them to
lay until the breeding season opened.
SO that we can get more steady egg
production than If they were made to
lay during the entire winter. The
other pen 1t was not intended to use at
all for breeders, but to produce the
greatest number of eggs possible, at
the time of year when they would
bring the highest price. During the
month of December, 1895, the pen which
was intended for laying experiment,
contained nineteen pullets, and the
one intended for breeding purposes
contained sixteen pullets. During this
month the laying pen laid sixty-three
eggs, the non-laying pen no eggs. Dur
Ing the month OF January the laying |
pen 124 eggs. the nonlaying pen seven |
eggs. During the month Of February. |
The laying pen 100 eggs and the nom
laying pen twelve eggs. During the
month of March the laying pen les
and the non-laying pen forty-three.
During the month of April, the laying
pen 129. and the non-laying 1879.
We began the last of March to get
our breeding pen, which has been so
ar designated as the "non-laying pen,"
nto good laying trim, with the results
Is above stated. From this time on.
he breeders. although less in number
han the other pen, laid a great many
more eggs. For the month of May the
aging pen laid 142 eggs. the non-lay-
ng pen 3Sl eggs. The method of feed
ng that was employed to bring this
bout was substantially as follows:
The morning feed for those which
we're intended to produce eggs consist
d OF boiled lean meat. scraps from the
able, the fat having been removed,
Wheat screenings, with constant drink
ng water. For the evening feed, wheat
greetings what they wanted to eat,
nixed with corn twice per week.
hose which were not intended for
reducing eggs were fed on wheat
greetings Of poorer quality with corn.
'hese gradually increased In weight
ntil they had the appearance of being
ver-fat. This pen, although not put to
aging until the LIST or April. averaged
50h eggs per hen during the season.
They were pure bred Plymouth
ocks. The other which was put to
lying during the entire winter aver