Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1901-06-05
Due to HAD Diet.

From the Farmers Review. l mad q
chicken die on me last week. II seemed
TO be In good health right along,
found 1t dead lying on its back and
blood had been flowing from It's rec
tum, so decided to open 1t. and found
lump shape and size OF an egg In It.
which thought to be a tumor as 1t
was covered with dark blood. l cut II
open; II was like large flsh cut open.
| don't know II fat or what. don't
know the breed OF the hen; she laid
we'll and never got hatehy 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 II. see In
your paper Of others that have such
good luck In getting eggs. | must state
that l have twenty-four chickens. near
ly all Plymouth Rocks. Have four
roosters sometimes. but generally one;
as | must pen the other three up. as
the other. large one. whips them; 80
| don't think that could DO 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 | had chickens for
two years but wasn't able To get
enough eggs from them to pay Tor
their feed. / have them In an Old
street car. The north side have a
canvas covering the glass To keep the
north wind out. When weather ID fine
they have plenty OF prairie.
Bruins.
From a written description II Is i'm
possible to say whether the lump was
a tumor or not, and the fact could be
determined only by an actual inyeatl-
CATION. AS to tho cause OF poor re-
suits In getting eggs there Ia no doubt;
IL ID the excessive feeding OF corn.
which Ia the poorest possible food for
egg production. except when combined
with other things. Then IL should
form only minor part OF the ration.
Let the condition powders and Eo-
called 'egg-produeers" alone. as they
are OF no value. A healthy fowl needs
neither egg producers nor condition
powders. These nostFums are sold for
manufacturers and not because they
have any particular value for the pro-
dnctlon OF eggs. The corn feed has
made II impossible for the flock 10 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 Il
is composed OF about six parts OF fat
forming elements to one OF fieBh-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
5@sh-forming element. aud the result H.
that when II IL made the main reliance
OF the flock little results are seen cx-
cept very great increase OF the worth
less fat OF the hens. The fact that no
eggs were received previous u 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 the like should be at once sub
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. II they have
other kinds of food they will not over.
eat with oats.
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