The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-21

market, use green cut bone very large
ly and consider it indispensable for the
greatest profit. 1t is a highly concentrat-
ed food, and must be used cautiously.
The only danger lies in feeding too much
or in feeding that which is sour or moldy.
The one results in forcing the chicks or
fowls off their feed" and in leg trou-
bles and the other in diarrhea and bowel
complaints. The maximum rations for
laying hens is y ounce per day.
The use of green cut bone not only in
creases egg production. but lessons the
food cost of eggs. This is very clearly
shown by an experiment carried out by
the Hatch experiment station of Massa-
chusetts a few years ago with two lots
of hens and pullets, 10 in each lot, and
continuing 70 days from Feb. 8. The food
for one lot was 99.5, oats &c., wheat bran
1875, wheat middlings 1875, Chicago gluten
meal 1875, ground clover 1875, green cut
bone 10, total 2S35, cost 50. 25, nutritive ra-
ito 1 to AS. The other lot received essen
TALLY the same food, except that in place
of the green bone it got 81 pounds ami
NAL meal The total food was PSI pounds,
cost SO. &c, nutritive ratio to 40. The lot
receiving green cut bone laid 269 eggs
at a cost of $40 pound dry matter in
food per egg and 1.2c for food consumed
while the other lot laid las eggs at a
cost of 1.796 pounds dry matter and &c
for food consumed. This included the
cost of labor for cutting the bones.
Quite similar results were obtained in
more recent experiments by the ". \.
Experimental Station. Here it was found
that for laying hens the rations contain
ing animal food proved superior to others
in which all the organic matter was de-
rived from vegetable sources. The hens
fed green cut bone laid more eggs and at
a less cost per egg for food consumed.
Pullets raised on food containing consid-
cradle bone began laying much earlier
than those fed corresponding rations made
up of vegetable food. This point is of
the greatest importance to poultrymen
and farmers who know of the difficulty
of getting late Matched pullets started to
laying before cold weather sets in. Once
get them laying and with good food, care
and warm quarters they will lay well dur
ing the late fall and early winter when
eggs are highest, but If they cannot be
started before the holidays it is almost
impossible to get any profit out of them
before every other hen and pullet starts
laying toward spring and the price of eggs
goes down with a thud.
For raising young chicks and ducks
green cut bone as food has no equal.
Nothing will approach 1t in putting on
growth and weight, more particularly with
ducklings than with chicks. Ducklings
without an abundant supply of animal
protein in the ration, together with "a lib
eral proportion of mineral matter, seem
unable to make any approximation to
their normally rapid and most profitable
growth.
Scrap bone is obtained at markets or
packing houses, and the short soft bones
with meat adhering 40 them are pre-
ferred These are ground up in machines
made on purpose, which are not expen-
sve. The cut bone may be mixed and fed
in the mash, but it is preferable to feed
1t alone Fowls and chicks are very fond
of 1t, and il is the best eXerciser for them.
Scatter ii at noon in the straw or litter
on the floor and there will be such a
scratching for it as you have seldom seen.
1t is good practice to feed it three times
a week, although a little may be given
daily. 1t should be fed az a regular hour
on certain days, for when the hens get
accustomed to 1t they are uneasy unless
1t is given Them at the expected time.
The only precautions necessary to observe
are never feed too much, nor any which
is tainted.