The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-10-01
Soft Food or Whole Grain.


proportion of soft messes to our fowls,
especially to the young stock. We are
still giving mixed meals in the crumb-
ly dough state, writes T. Greiner, a
practical man in his line of work. We
do it because we can compound bal
anced rations in the cheapest manner
in this way. 1t is not always practi-
cable for us to obtain waste bones, and
it is quite task in busy time to cut
them even with a good bone cutter ar
ranged for hand use. If we could get
fresh bones in quantity, and have them
cut with power cutter, we would use
them largely, as they make one of the
very best additions to the rations for
eggs or growth. Even then we might
prefer to mix the fresh-cut bone with
some meals, and feed them in this way
rather than give them clear, and let
the balance of the ration consist of
whole grains. There is one great OBJ
lection to soft messes as so often made,
however, and that is the danger Of
waste. Fowls seem to be bound to
scatter it all over the ground around
the food troughs or dishes, and some OF
it, even if not so very much, is lost.
1t has often puzzled us good deal
how to arrange matters so as to avoid
this loss. People who feed nothing but
dry grains have the advantage of us.
They know nothing of this loss. And
from our own experience we know
that hens and chickens can be kept in
health and good growth on judicious
variety of whole grains, especially with
wheat forming large proportion of
the ration. One of the ways to minlm-
iZe loss of soft food consists in plac-
ing the troughs or dishes on cement
or other clean floor, and sprinkling the
latter occasionally with clean sand.
The troughs may also be arranged in
such a manner that each bird has to
feed through two Stats, and with some
crowding will not have any chance or
temptation to take a mOuthful and
draw back or run. The best way, how
ever is to feed mess that is not easily
scattered in bits too small to be picked
UP. One of the objects of giving such
feeds is economy by providing bulk in
a cheap manner. We can utilize our
small potatoes, or beets, pumpkins,
squashes, etc., or even cut clover, by
steaming or boiling, and mixing these
materials with meals to stiff dough.
If soft food is given in this way, there
will be but very small, il any, loss In
feeding The labor of preparing such
messes seems to us well paid for in the
saving of more expensive feeds, and in
the good results generally.
Possibilities for Boys in Poultry.
A 14-year-old boy gives his exper-
fence with poultry as follows: about
a year ago I purchased IL Barred Ply
mouth Rock pullets and 1 cockerel, pay
ing a good price for them. 1 also got
a portable chicken coop and built
run IT'S feet long and so feet wide, en-
closed with a wire fence 6 feet high.
This divided into two parts, SO while
the chickens were using one side l
could grow clover in the other. l fed
them a regular rotation all winter. l
gave them 1 quart of small grains in
a litter of clean straw, SO they would
have to work for their living. At noon
I gave them a warm mash, composed
of clover, meat meal and sunflower
seeds. Then in the evening I gave
them corn in the litter, and they went
to roost feeling warm and comfortable.
Last February I purchased Cypher's
incubator and brooder. l have had
some very good luck, and now nave
116 chicks, some of them weighing
and pounds. l have built another
house now and intend to build still
another"
This lad also tells us that he has a
%-acre garden, out of which he makes
quite little every summer. Success
to you, young friend. Poultry raising
and gardening are decidedly interest
ing pursuits, and they will always ap-
peal especially to the young. They af-
ford most useful training and profit
able pastime. When boy becomes
.-4ouoo+od IN raicipo chinLanc nr