The Columbus journal., 1898-05-11

Corn meal 4 q good thing to feed
hens II It be fed Des1esly and in proper
quantities. The writer has been very
careful not to feed either corn or corn
meal to IN extent to induce too great
amount Of tat This Is about the only
objection In feeding corn meal to q
fully developed hen. With growing
chicks there IL the added danger that
the fowls will not get enough ash to
make ilrm bones. When hens are lay
Ing freely It u somewhat dimcult to
get them fat. and at this time the feed
ing OF corn meal once q day seems to
be . very good thing. This spring.
when the hens of the writer were con-
fined for some weeks on account Of tbs
snow. they showed that indigestion
had taken hold Of them. hard green
droppings appearing in numerous
places under the roosts. Known
well that family physicians sometimes
order the patients to eat more corn
meal food when . lax condition OF the
bowels Is desired. We made . Ike
change in the food Of the hens. we
put . small quantity in a pan and pour
boiling water over it and then stir 1t
up thoroughly. The pan II then put
ON top Of the hot stove and allowed
to cook for say i've minutes. when 1t
becomes . thickened mass. After be-
Ing allowed to cool to \ point where
the fowls can eat 1t without burning
their mouths this Is fed before any
other food is given. The fowls seem
to enjoy this warm morning meal more
than any other Of the day. The result
this spring has been that the signs Of
indigestion have already disappeared
and the hens are laying vigorously. One
OF the hens had shown some small
signs Of roup, and the feeding Of the
warm. soft meal has seemed to have
an excellent effect on her. about all
signs Of the trouble having disappear
ed. The philosophy Of this is plain.
Roup II principally an affection Of the
mucous membrane and the warm soft
meal 10 easy on that membrane. We
do not say that this hen had the roup.
We only say that she showed some
symptoms OF 1t. It may have been
nothing but q slight cold. We want
this understood, for We do not wish to
be understood that corn meal cooked
can be regarded In any sense ~ cure
for roup. It might be possible that in
Its early stages the feeding OF foods |
that are easy on the mucous membrane
might have tendency to retard the
progress Of the disease to such an ex-
tent that nature would be able to bring |
about normal conditions and throw OF |
the disease.
Corn meal 80 prepared Is fed only in
the morning, and that, too, only to an
extent that can be eaten. To balance
this whole oats are kept before the
fowls for the re- Of the day, the only /
other food being table scraps. At night
the oat trough IL taken out of reach,
SO that the hens cannot fill up on them
In the morning before the corn meal
IL given to them. Even the water is
taken out at night for the same reason.
We doubt IL this will be found to be
advisable In the summer time when
The hens have all the green grass they
can eat and are also laying fewer eggs.
The rest they take in the summer
makes 1t easy for them to lay on tat,
md this would be more likely to be
The case In the summer than in the
Early spring. We have spoken Of this
because at this time of year many mil
ions of birds are lost by INDIGESTION,
lue entirely 10 improper feeding. In
digestion probably kills more fowls in
he spring than any other trouble at
his time Of year.