The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-03-23
ROOTS FOR HENS.
They Are Fine Substitute for Grass
and Vegetables.


Some June day watch hen in a
small flock left to roam and pick at
liberty and see what she eats Just as
soon as it is light she is up and hus-
tlinG around to catch the earth worm.
You will find her always busy search
Ing for food a tip of grass here, then
clover leaf, next a grass-hopper, a
strawberry, another grass leaf, or a
sharp pebble attracts her attention. A
little rest in the shade, with perhal
dust bath, is her only recrea; ion. She
IS active all day long, trying to satisfy
her appetite, and at night she comes
back to roost with full crop. These
are hapy days for biddy and she lays
an egg nearly every day, besides stor-
ing UP fat to assist in nourishing hel
while she is Matching her brood.
To initiate these conditions during
the cold, dreary winter months, and
induce biddy to lay the daily egg, keeps
the poultryman busy from November
to March preparing roots and mashes.
The scientist has shown the farmer
how to make June butter in December.
He has told him just how much mus
Gle and fat forming food the cow
wants every day. The pig, the sheep
and the big steer have each had their
needs studied, but up to this time very
little scientific work has been lone on
the hen. Our hen is not so easily stud
led as the large animals. In the feeding
experiments which have been made 1t
has been assumed that fowls use food
the same as higher animals. but some
think that fowls use it mo e econom-
ically.
However, poultrymen have found by
many different trials rations that pro-
duce good results, and these are being
fed in ignorance of why. 'rhe hen at
liberty eats great deal of fresh grass
in its season. This serves a twofold
purpose. 1t not only furnishes food, for
tender growing grass is very nutri-
tious, but it also dilutes other foods,
furnishing necessary bulk. For when
biddy is confined and fed wholly on
grains, which are concentrated foods,
in order to extend the crop sufficiently
to overcome the hungry feeling, she
eats more than she requires This
forms fat and the active fowl IS
changed to sluggish hen. When fresh
grass and vegetables can not be had,
roots furnish very acceptable succu-
lent food. consider that the chief val
ue of roots for hens lies in their sue
culence, palatability and addition of
bulk, rather than in their nutriment.
A fresh beet or turnip hung in the sun
shine is much relished by fowls. By
boiling them to a soft consistency and
thickenlng them with ground grains
and adding little salt, a very accept
able mash is made. The cooked vege-
tables give bulk and add to the flavor
and variety of the mash. For this use
think no root superior to the small
potato.
There is no vegetable that will COM
pletely f1ll the place of cabbage as a
winter food for hens. The crisp, tender
leaves more closely resemble fresh
grass, both in composition and me
chanical condition. Fowls seem to rel
ish 1t and will eat surprising amount
II 1t is kept before them. Just now clio
yer rowen cut into short lengths is
largely used by poultrymen. This is an
excellent food, very nutritious. cheap,
and easily preserved and prepared. I'm
like roots, clover is rich in muscle
forming materials. If steamed soft and
mixed in the mash in the proportion of
one part to five or six of ground grains
very gratifying mash is produced.-
II. M. Thomas. in Reliable Poultry
Journal