The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-08-10
Farm Poultry.

OH the UOuty leCelNSu lloii SSS' az
substantial and perhaps the larger
part Of their income. Hence the egg
problem is to them one of great i'm
portance. But in the solution of this
problem I recall forcibly one Of the
copies which had to be set in my writ
| ing books at school: MANY men or
many minds.' for there are many diff
ferent methods pursued, and each one
thinks his is the best If l give mine,
while it may not be the best possible
method, am sure it is good one, for
| il helps my birds and | trust 1t Will
prove helpful to others. Were all to
write a strictly scientific essay on this
subject it would naturally commence
with an analysis of the egg. showing
the proportions Of albumen, fat, lime,
etc. that enter into its composition,
but for practical purposes this is un-
necessary. We know that in some way
from the food must be extracted the
constituents Of the eggs. and we pro-
pose to show only our methods OF
supplying the food to the hen.
First-We see to it that the hens
are well fed, not overloaded with fat,
nor as lean as lost dog. A very poor
hen is as untitled for laying as very
fat one; either extreme should be
| avoided.
Second-Scanty feeding is not adapt
| ed to abundant egg production. Hens
that lay many eggs must be fed wei,
as much as they will eat and digest
without getting too fat. We cannot
manufacture q thousand yards Of cot
ton cloth out of raw material necessary
for a hundred yards, and we cannot ex-
pect hen to lay two hundred eggs
Der year if we furnish only enough
food to produce hundred.
Third-The food must be of the right
nature as we'll as of the proper guam
tity: as an egg is rich in albumen we
need considerable albumenous food; as
It contains fat and oils, we must have
q proper amount Of fat producing food,
in order to produce well balanced
! ration.
Having these principles in view l
have found the following an excellent
method of feeding for eggs:
Glover as much as the hens will eat,
green in summer and either dry III
winter. or what is better, cut fine and
covered with boiling water and left
to steam. The water in which this
clover is steamed can be profitably
used to mix up the evening ration. The
first thing in the morning feed the
clover. and after the hens have pecked
I'D what they want, give them equal
parts Of cracked corn and wheat and
the next morning oats and buckwheat
or some other grain. Throw this in
litter and make them scratch and hunt
for it. At night give feed composed
of two parts of ground oats, one part
ground beef scrap and two parts corn
meal, mixed with hot water and feed
warm, not hot. For green stuff supply
cabbage. hung up by a string to help
themselves. or beets or turnips cut
| in half and stuck on nails on the side
Of the house. Keep ground oyster
shells. grit and charcoal in boxes or
| hoppers before them at all times so
they can eat as much or little as they
| choose.
Now. there may be better ways thai!
this, but this is certainly good method
and Will be found to answer the need
Of practical poultry men. If you OBJ
tain it and can afford to do 1t, feed your
hens skinned milk; it is one of the
best egg producing foods known, bul
fhe difficulty is the price puts it beyond
the reach of most poultry raisers. But
our farmer friends would find it very
advantageous if they would save some
OF their surplus milk for the hens and
not give ut all to the hogs.
One hundred hens, with proper care
should produce at least 500 profit clear
each year. The pullet that begins tc
lay earliest in life will lay the largest
number Of eggs. Charred corn on the
cob is a good way to feed charcoal to
fowls and nothing is better for bowel
troubles.
Have you ever made IN honest effort
to improve your stock by the infusion
| Of new blood?
Laying hens may enjoy eating snow
and drinking water out of stagnant
pools. but neither is good for them
| On the contrary, both are quite in
| furious and if properly traced many
sicknesscs among the poultry both win
ter and summer would be found as
result Of these practices.
Poultry raising is being gradually re-
| duced to business principles. and is be-
! coming an actual and important feature
of agriculture more and more each
year.
Do you subscribe for and read poul
try paper. or are you opposed to "booli
larnin'' and think you know more than
the editors and men who write for the
papers simply to see their name II
print?
You farmers that raise pure bred
| poultry. look on your young stock
Pick out the most likely ones and push
them by good feeding. Have them as
exhibition 1t the county fair and show
your friends and neighbors what yor