Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1904-02-04
Corn as a Poultry Feed.


While we have for years done oil
In our power to check the too free
use of corn in the poultry ration, we
yet regard 1t as one Of the most I'M
portant feeds for poultry. Fed for SIX
months at time and as a single ra-
ton 1t is almost always used at dis
advantage. Corn Is badly over-bal'
anced on the carbohydrate side, and
its constant feeding not only Injuries
the internal organs Of the bird re-
ceiving 1t, but 1t Is to considerable
extent washed, as the fowls can digest
only about so much of this kind OF
matter anyway. The balance must go
through in partly digested state.
This may be the cause OF the intes-
final disturbances that are sometimes
the result of It's continuous feeding.
The man that feeds corn alone is put
ting into each fowl each year good
deal more money than is necessary.
In some cases this may amount to as
much as rs cents per bird per year
wasted, and worse. On flock of 100
fowls this is quite an item. But feed
corn In conjunction with other things
and all will be well.
Fowls vary greatly in the effects
upon them of the corn fed. The young
and growing birds, especially those
that exercise a great deal, show less
effects Of its use than the older birds.
This is largely because the fowls in
exercising burn up more Of the carbon
contained in the food by means of the
chemical action going on In their
lungs. The old hens are less active
and cannot use the carbon in such
great quantities. The result is that
they lay up unnecessary fat and in
time get too fat to lay well. This is g
condition hard to cure. The writer
once bought dozen Plymouth Rocks
to add to his flock. To his surprise
they did not lay an egg till the winter
was about half over. He surmised
that the birds had been fed on moth
ing but corn for long time before the
purchase was made. He asked the
former owner about II and found that
this was true. These hens were all
old birds; that is, more than IS months
old each.
When a fowl is to be fattened for
market-for the American market, at
least-corn is the proper food for her.
II kept somewhat closely confined she
will put on weight very rapidly. Such
a bird might not do for the foreign
market, where they want flesh rather
than fat. But the American buyer is
not particular. He says that very
fat bird is a tender bird, so he buys
the bird that is fat and throws the
surplus fat away. The fat bird sells
the best, and the city retailer never
complains II the birds are fat. The
country producer therefore has no al
Tentative but to make all the birds he
sells as fat as the market demands,
and corn is his great ally in doing
this.
When corn is to be extensively fed
we believe 1t is better to feed much
of 1t in the form Of corn meal and
made into a pudding at that. The
moisture content of such mess Is
worth considering. 1t takes a great
deal Of water to carry the food
through the intestines, and when dry
corn is fed, 1t must frequently be the
case that not enough water is taken
to properly do this work. II the fowl
fills up on corn before going to roost
there is no opportunity to drink be-
fore morning. This must frequently
result in a dlsarrangement of the
digestive organs. This view of 1t
would rather favor the position Of
those poultrymen that say that the
soft mash should be fed at night and
the whole corn In the morning. The
matter is certainly worth thought and
investigation.