Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1908-01-23
Winter Egg Farming.

] 90 o'pi ~ lhl'NAN wv hiNN'N ''''N''
in their winter quarters, they are ready
for a good ration and capable OF making
good use of Il. 1t is an easy matter to
4 formulate a ration regardless OF expense,
in fact, believe too uucc of that is
done, on paper. With me a great por
ton Of my bread and butter depends
| upon the management OF my business
and have to consider both sides OF the
feed question.
Labor is quite an item Of expense, as IL
the high price of grain, and for tha,
reason many poultrymen arc using dry
feed, as it is so much less work and gives
good returns. have tried both meth.
DDS of feeding to my satisfaction, and am
confident that better returns can be made
at less cost by having al least small
portion of the days ration composed of
soft feed.
Care must he taken not TO feed too
much soft feed as it injuries the digestion
of both the growing and the mature
stock. An impaired digestion means not
only a great waste OF food, but II also
means an empty cgg basket two great
sources OF loss.
Many people think that soft feed"
means different whole grains ground and
mixed to certain consistency and fed i'll
that state. This is the practice of many
people today who follow the soft feed
method, and is practice wish to con.
demn in the strongest terms, for all grain
fed to poultry should be fed in its whole
or cracked state. cannot see any object
in grinding grain for poultry, for poultry
should always be in such healthy,
hardy condition that they can do all the
grinding of the grain themselves, and
they will be far healthier.
II a poultry man could get "peas OF
'soy beans" in sufficient quan,itcH, the
wide grains could b. narrowed down and
there would be little necessity of a soft
feed, as these lcguineS contain enough
protein which; together with a liberal
meat ration to provide for a steady egg
flow.
Protein is lacking in most ratons and
We cannot expect our fowls to produce
pro eir product on carbonaceous feed.
An egg is composed Of a protein matter
altogether, except for very small per
ccutagt of fat in the yolk; consequently,
such feeds must he given as the fowls
can utilize in egg making. Otherwise
the hen will digest her feed and put it on
her back, becoming sluggish and of little
profit to her owner ii she is not an actual
expense.
The prime object in feeding soft foods
is to add such foods as will furnish pro.
tein and my way of doing it is this: Use
milk as the foundation always, putting it
into kettle and bringing II to boil,
but never let the milk boil, as boiling
makes il tough and leathery, Then divide
it into pals enough to make the desired
quantity and stir in il buckwhcat uiid.
dlings enough to make nice tAich
gravy.
If buckwhcat middlings are not avail.
able, oil meal may he used, hall as uucn
a. the amount OF buckwheat, and grea,
care must be used that it's well stirred so
that it is well incorporated with the milk &.
Iuto this stir enough wheat bran aud
red dog flour to mix to a stiff crumbly
state.
stir this up about noon and cover with
blanket letting ii cook III its own neal
IN g., !
is fed in liberal quantities. This feed
could be given in the morning ii great
care We're taken to feed it pretty short SO
the fowls would work for the grain
thrown in the straw, hut as most people
feed too much and cause their hens to
get fat and sluggish, 1t is better to feed
at night when they have a long nigh, be,
fore them.
When clover is used as a green food
and bio, d meal as the animal food,
would add both to this soft feed also, as
they are more digestible When fed this
way.
The reader will now see that have
added nothing to this soft feed hut what
will give protein to the days ration and
! in fact, has cost less than the ground
grains and is more bulky and less liable
e to create that sluggishness we are always
y trying to avoid
{ But soft feeds should not he relied
= upon to furnish the protein exclusively
b unless we are using the blood meal in
S the soft feed AMI in that case, it should
II he ndded in the proportion of one ouhc,
It to each ten fowls, Green cut bone ted
S literally is very good il arrangements
i can be made to get the bones aud enough
IS fowls are kept to warrant the buying oi q
= bone cater.
II Next is an animal food, Iwou,i recon-
mend the use OF some OF these old can
IS mers such as have passed their usefulness
IT in the dairy and are generally sold from
" one to two cents per pound. The hide
l. generally sells for about one,hali wh&
st one of the finest animal food ra.ions eycr
is fed to poultry and too much cannot b,
l. said in favor Of its use.
Y, Of course We must ,iaye very cole
l. weather to do this, and VI can ther
l. dress it nicely and stow j, away in one o
II our old colony houses to keep /. frozen
b. grinding it as We need il bones aitd all
r. in the bone cutter and then setting il
III the basement To ,hsw. This sh6ild y
As fed at the rate ~ one ounce TO each lcya'
h Farm LIE,