Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1906-11-09

t''H t.s~ ~ W u4tU AFt f1AUt
by beginners, /, is evident the general
Impression 10 abroad that only person
with glcat deal Of experience could
feed poultry properly. Sach is net the
case. Any person with average ability
should be able 10 feed hens 30 thar they
VIII give gccd rsturls Ia cggs. Ii Is
true that one might SIS well expect 10
make a profit from dairy cows win.
tered on slrsw stack as with ,Asuitry
< ii under ordinary farm conditions.
They require suitable are much asany
o.her ike stock ON the farm. II is not
only necessary 10 feed birds so they
viii be in good health, they must be
Induced TO sshell out the eggs also,
As an evidence Of the Way farm poul-
try are cared for IN many cases, mo-
tced Chat farmer once wrote l'rof.
Dryden of the Utah Experiment sta.
ton stating That his hens were drop
ptng Off and ssking what was 10 be
done, The Professor replied "never
mind II was way hens bud, some
preferred dcata TO the treatment they
received" just here will give you =
few of the causes Of failure III the poul-
try business: dampness, unclean quar-.
tiers, too much cooked food, versnin.
filthy water, drafts III roosting quarters,
| crowding and moldy or nusty straw
for litter. Now there Ii not one Of these
causes that cannot he remedied very
easily Hens given only fair treatment
Will pay good profits aud the man who
says poultry don't pay is in that state
ment confessing how badly he looks
after the wants OF his birds.
feed my hens wheat as soon as they
leave the roosts in the winter and about
a. NJ. In the summer. The same
grain or oats is fed at noon. All grain
II scattered in litter 10 make the birJs
earn their living, for 1t Is useless to ex-
pect eggs II the birds are allowed 10
gobble. up their food In two or three
minutes and then jump on the perches
ana NOPE there until they get hungry.
Iney must be made to take plenty OF
exercise and especially does this apply
- The winter fnonths when II is meet q
ssry to keep them VAIN. Al night
just about half All hour before the birds
| 30 to roost | give them as much mash
tusing one-half barn and one-half
shorts as they viii eat in Is minutes
a Id scatter very small amount OF
to grain In the litter SO they can get a
little If they want it before going roost.
IL 10 not necessary to have shorts
to mix in the mash, finely ground
oat or barely chop will take its place,
but like to have some bran to mix
with the chop or shorts. Use skinned
milk instead Of water to mix the mash
with II you have plenty. Some people
feed the mash In the morning. l much
prefer to feed it at night for the
reason that hens then 90 to roost with
their crops full whereas II they are
made to hunt for their night food In
the litter it frequently gets dark before
they have sufficient. Feeding rnash in
the morning has the opposite effect to
that which we desire. as the hens fill
up with mash In few minutes and
then NOPE around till hunger makes
them look for food. In summer 1t does
not make 30 much difference whf I
time Of day the mash ID fed. When
possible aid meat, vegetables or green
food to their diet. ! prefer to feed these
at noon and reduce the noon grain feed
the days these other foods are given.
Bee that the birds have fresh clean
water always before them and that they
get plenty Of grit. Now by grit l do
not mean little round pebbles ~ these
are absolutely useless for this purpose.