The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1909-09-02

PIG. SxI- FEEDING THE CHICKENS.
must be given some food. especially
Of the kinds that they are not able to
find for themselves. The most plentl.
fui food on the average farm and the
one that the birds are most likely to
get y corn. Corn Is heating food
and is not suited for laying hens or
growing chickens If fed alone. Some
oats can be used for the older fowls,
but this feed Is not suited for young
chickens unless ground Oats are an
especially good food for laying hens
One OF the best grain feeds is wheat
1t Is usually too expensive to be fed
very extensively, but It may often be
used for part Of the ration. Wheat,
either whole or cracked, makes a
splendid feed for young chicks. A
mixture Of wheat and oats grown to-
gethcv makes an excellent feed for
nil kinds OF stock as well as poultry
Milling byprodncts, such as shorts,
bran and oilmeal, can be mixed In
small quantities with the other feeds
and fed TO advantage
SuceuIsnt Food Necessary.
One OF the greatest needs Of poultry
In winter is some kind of succulent
feed. This can be provided by storing
away a quantity Of cabbage turnips,
mangels and pumpkins. These can be
chopped up during the winter and fed
with other feeds or given alone. The
fowls will relish them very much and
make liberal response at the egg bas-
ket If there is sllo on the place
some silage may be fed TO the fowls to
advantage, II is cheap and appetizing.
Glover and alfalfa hay chopped fine In
feed cutter make good roughage. IL
soaked in hot water before feeding the
hens Will eat large amounts. Either
bran or cut alfalfa may be mixed IN
the mash feeds In the proportion Of
one.quarter to three-quarters of the
grain
Value Of Animal Food.
When allowed free range fowls OBJ.
tain large amounts OF animal food In
the form of Insects. Some feed of this
kind is essential II the best results
are TO be secured. Beef scrap is
packing house byprodnct that can be
purchased at reasonable price 1t Is
a very valuable feed for growing
chickens and laying hens The most
common animal food on the farm Is
skimmllk This Is valuable feed for
all classes OF fowls. At the Virginia
experiment station II was found that
skimmllk Is worth dollar a hundred
as food for laying hens. Buttermilk
Is also good feed. II you have many
laying hens and can get plenty Of
fresh bones from the butcher It VIII
pay 10 get bone cutter and make lib
eral use OF cut bone as a food 1t Is
high In protein and also contains
large amount OF the mineral foods 10
badly needed by the laying hens.
Mineral foods form an important
part Of the ration. OF the dry matter
N the egg 800 per cent Is composed
II mineral matter Crushed oyster or
tlam shells, plaster and slaked lime
are the best sources OF minerals.
Fowls also need grit 10 assist In
grinding their food A pile Of sharp
sand In the poultry yard Is one Of the
best means Of supplying this. Charcoal
Is a good preventive Of intestinal trou.
bles. A box OF II should be kept
where they can get at II at all times
A little salt mixed with this charcoal
IL beneficial
Feeding Young Chicks.
There are three especially important
feeding problems that confront the
poultry raiser--feeding young chicks.
feeding FOR egg production and fatten.
ng The greatest source Of loss IN
poultry raising ia improper feeding Of
rorng chickens The newly hatchee
hicks should not receive any feed a.
III until they are forty eight honrs ole
Crumbs of dry Or toasted bread make 1
good feed for tie first few days. They |
may be moistencd with little milk |
o. fed dry Chicks VIII do better n 1
mati II their food Is given In dry /
fora, One " the most common mis-
takes made IN feeding chickens IL H. 4
giving TOO much They should never /
be fed more soft food than they VIII /
rat up clean 10 fifteen or twenty min
sites i'ry grain scattered In straw or 1
rut clover slll. of course, last longer
Plenty ~ pure water. grit aud ehar /
real should be provided Any scheme /
that viii eempel the chicks TO exert 1
themselves IL getting az their food w!il /
se beneficial 70 their health The less 1
they are permitted 10 bcii their food /
he less iiaiae 10 digestive troubles
III. they become,