Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-11-22

OhS WTlter says lndL stale Dredu
soaked in milk makes good feed for
young poultry. Without doubt bread
and milk so fed are less likely to dis
turb the digestive systems of the
young fowls than when wet or damp
meal is fed or meal mixed with milk.
Some poultry raisers report leg
weakness among the younger fowls.
While little is really known about the
cause OF leg weakness some poultry
raisers assume that it is due to too
heavy feeding of foods that make
growth but do not build up the bones.
such foods being used as are deficient
In lime. In such cases 1t might be
well to feed more bone meal, and to
generally balance up the ration.
No breed however good will prove
profitable unless it is cared for prop
erly. A great many men that do not
know the first principles of proper
feed and care demanded by poultry
buy blooded stock and fail in realiz-
ing their hopes. They at once con-
clude that highly bred fowls are not
worth as much as they supposed them
to be. Let no man think that he can
make money out of fowls simply be-
cause they have great possibilities in
Them. 1t takes brains to utilize the
possibilities.
To avoid liver disease In fowls give
liem plenty Of exercise and a we'll
mixed feed. This trouble comes on
when people little expect 1t anu "ery
often the owner Of the flock has not
the remotest idea as to what is taking
of his hens. Perfectly well hens will
suddenly fall over dead, and when
taken up are still warm. Their combs
are generally drained of blood. They
are killed by the sudden emptying OF
all the blood out of the heart through
the liver. Without doubt germ is at
the bottom of the trouble, but the med
ical investigator has not yet done
much work in that field. The best way
is to feed so as to avoid the disease.
Most Of our losses from disease could
be avoided if We were provident. After
the disease has established itself
among our birds we look back and say.
IF I had done so and so all this
trouble would have been escaped" A
few men do take these precautions and
escape disasters that are only too
familiar to most of us. But with
most OF our poultry raisers disease is
seldom considered till it is too late
to prevent it. Long immunity makes
us careless, and year by year we are
less on guard. Probably there are few
poultry diseases that could not be pre-
vented. Many of these diseases come
in with the new fowls we purchase
from some farm. We have become
SO careless that We do not think Of put
ting the new purchase in quarantine
till We are sure that she is free from
the germs that would scatter disease
everywhere. We have it in our power
to segregate our fowls more than any
other of the farm stock. ana in this
lies great power for good in the pre-
vention of disease.
1t was inevitable that sooner or
later the great trusts would grow in
the direction of handling agricultural
products, and would be able to dictate
prices to both producers and consum-
ers. 1t is reported that a great COM
bine of poultry handlers has been
formed in New York, and all indica-
lions point to the fact that few men
have been for long time absolutely
controlling the live poultry business in
that city. Not only has this trust
been formed. but it has become pow
'erful enough to enlist the public Of
ficials in it's favor and prevent new
men from going into the business. 1t
is said to exercise good deal Of its
power through the board of health.
1he trust is called the Greater New
York Live Poultry Dealers Associa-
ton. 1t is incorrect perhaps to call
1t trust, but 1t is in all senses such.
with the exception that each company
keeps it's own accounts. Last spring
a new man wanted to go into business
on the East Side and announced his
intention of dealing with the pro-
ducers direct and not through the
trust. This at once brought the en-
nifty of the great association, and from
April to October he has been asking
in vain to get a permit. At last he
has taken it into the court and the
board of health has been summoned
to give a good reason for not grant
ing the permit. These trusts spring
into existence without the public
knowing anything Of them, as they are
on their face only associations Of men
of like interest. There is no doubt
that such combines exist in Chicago
and other large cities and that they
are every day becoming more power