The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1901-05-10
DAIRY AND POULTRY.
INTERESTING cHAPTERs FOR
OUR RURAL READERS.
How successful Farmers Opsrats This
Departments OF the Farm ~ A Few
Hints as to the Care Of Live Stock
and Poultry
Due to Bad Diet.

From the Farmers Review: had a
chicken die on me last week. It seemed
to be in good health right along.
found it dead lying on its back and
blood had been flowing from its rec
tum. so I decided to open it, and found
lump shape and size Of an egg in it,
which thought to be a tumor as it
was covered with dark blood. I cut it
open; 1t was like large fish cut open.
don't know If fat or what. I don't
know the breed Of the hen; she laid
well and never got hatchy all last sum-
mer. She laid none this year, nor
was there any sign Of an egg in her.
Please tell me the cause Of it. see in
your paper Of others that have such
good luck in getting eggs. must state
that have twenty-four chickens, near
ly all Plymouth Rocks. Have four
ROSTERS sometimes, but generally one;
as must pen the other three up, as
the other. large one, whips them; so
l. don't think that could be cause Of
them not laying more. Feb. 20 re-
ceived the first egg of this year; they
have not averaged two eggs per day.
We give them soft feed twice a week
with condition powder and an egg pro-
Queer. salt and pepper; the rest of the
time mostly corn, sometimes oats and
wheat. Actually I had chickens for
two years but wasn't able to get
enough eggs from them to pay for
their feed. I have them in an old
street car. The north side I have a
canvas covering the glass to- keep the
north wind out. When weather Is fine
they have plenty Of prairie.-John
Bruins.
From a written description 1t Is i'm
possible to say whether the lump was
a tumor or not, and the fact could be
determined only by an actual investi-
cation. AS to the cause of poor re-
suits in getting eggs there is no doubt;
which is the poorest possible food for
egg production, except when combined
with other things. Then it should
form only q minor part Of the ration.
Let the condition powders and so
called "egg-producers" alone, as they
are of no value. A healthy fowl needs
neither egg producers nor condition
powders. These nostrums are sold for
the purpose of getting money for the
manufacturers and not because they
have any particular value for the pro-
duction Of eggs. The corn feed has
made it impossible for the flock to pro-
duce many eggs, and even though the
feed be changed at once, little need be
hoped for this year from the change.
The corn has produced too much fat,
and this condition will be retained for
some time to come. The best food for
laying or growing hens Is oats. for it
is composed Of about six parts of fat
forming elements to one of fesh-form-
ing elements, about the proportions
that are needed by the animal economy.
Corn is composed of an excessively
large proportion of fat-forming ele-
ments and very small portion Of
f1esh-forming element, and the result is
that when it Is made the main reliance
Of the flock little results are seen ex-
cept a very great increase of the worth
less fat of the hens. The fact that no
eggs were received previous to Feb
ruary 20 shows that the hens had been
ruined for egg production by the RAJ
ton they had received. Fat must al
ways be avoided in laying hens, as it
always has tendency to check egg
production. Oats, wheat screenings
and tho like should be at once SUBJ
stituted, and the mash should be fed
once day. This may be made from
chopped feed, and the hens will in
this way get all the corn that will be
profitable to them. But do not feed too
heavily Of even wheat screenings, as
they err somewhat in the direction of
corn. As the hens are too fat the feed
should be Of kind tending to cure
that condition. Oats may be left with
them all the time. as, If they have
other kinds Of food they will not over
eat with oats.
Tho Waste Of Sl,age.
When corn Is cut for silage, how do
the wastes compare with feeding
shredded or whole corn fodder dry? 1t