Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1907-05-16
Feeding for Eggs.

'''o" !" SBHn tnh' dtC "oith d h"ii
billion dollars, just about equal to the
value of the wheat crop, nothing is more
apparent than that the egg production
OF the country is nowhere near the total
that could be reached if the average
farmer or farmers wife had a better
knowledge Of the simplest rules of feed
ing and general management. If | were
asked to point ON, the greatest deficiency
on the average farm, / should not hest.
tate to name the poultry department if it
could be degnifed by such a title. And
yet the main principles Of poultry
management can lie condensed into a
very few words. II is a science, 10 be
sure, like every department OF the
farmers profession, and can he gone into
deeply and with a corresponding degree
of profit, like every other science, but
the mere observance Of a very few of the
simplest rules would treble and quad
ripple the number oi eggs at present
obtained. At present | am living in the
suburbs Of a town, but | find the suburb
ante fully as much in the dark toward
the requirements of mother hen as his or
her more rural ncighbor.
II most essential part Of poultry
management is knowing how to feed and
it is exactly here that the most ignorance
is displayed. My observation is that the
.Coinmoncst and at the same time the
most serious error lies in the quantity
Of the feed. The PLAN truth is that the
average hen simply does not yet enough
to eat to be able to lay x All
through the winter and up to the time
the obliging angle worm makes his APP
pcarance in the spring and gives her a
square meal, the average hen is in a
chronic state Of hunger: and right here
lies the greatest principle in poultry
science; the hungry hen never lays eggs.
Let but that one truth be universally
learned, and the production of eggs
would soar out of sight of present fig.
ures. And yet If you were to insinua,e
to the average housewife, for in the
great majority Of cases she is the mis-
trcss Of the poultry yard. that she was
not feeding her hens enough to make
them lay, She would be deeply offended
AT what she considered a most unjust
charge. lIut still If she were compelled
to ,rn,hfully say whether she was feed
ing tn" hens all they conld eat, she
would answer no and add that she did
not think 50 much feed was necessary.
But 1t is necessary, as our maxim above
implies. It only requires a little reflec.
ton TO prepare anyone to accept the
truth. Consider the size Of the average
hcn-say four to five pounds. and then
consider the bulk and weight of an egg.
CoisIlrr the I.cgliorn, the smallest Oi
al, weighing maybe not ovcr three
pounds, aud yet the greatest layer, and
then think 81 the substance the nutrition
contained IN AN egg.
Think Of the she'll how strong il is
and how many square inches 1t would
cover II It were spread out on "A level
surface. Then alter you have considered
the bulk and nutrition Of the egg. con
s!dcr the daily bodily requirement Of
the hen how mach she requires to sus.
tain lite. All the bodily functions Of
the regular layer must be unu,ally nc.
tive AMI to maintain this activity she
iIHsl laNe "A great deal OF exercise; this
t,.-.,, t ~