Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-12-20
Winter Eggs.
FOR WHICH BIRDS MUST BE wHLL.FED,
BUT NOT ovERFED.

In the feeding OF Q large number OF
fowls, the dry mash which has beer
steadily gaining favor for the past few
years certainly has advantages over wet
mash feeding, two Of which are tho saw
ing OF labor In making mashes, and thai
the dry system allows more variation In
the time of feeding. Wet mash feeding,
however, will continue to be used to ad
vantage In many places. "Wet mash
feeding has Its place and great deal Of
the refuse material at home on the farm
can be worked into wet mash much
more successfully than 1t can into dry
mash. For instance, such material as
small potatoes, waste vegetables, refuse
meat, and milk can be mixed up with
corn meal, bran, middlings, ETC., into a
very palatable mash.
"The secret of forcing hens for eggs
In the winter time is In the proper use OF
the protein feeds" writes Prof. Brown
Of U. Of NJ. The egg itself is highly
concentrated product and 10 rich In fats
and protein. Fats are not so difficult to
secure. az most of our hard grains are
rather high in fat content. They are,
however, too low In protein to warrant
high egg production, and poultry men
regularly produce that protein at the
present time through the purchase of
meat scrap, linseed meal and gluten
meal. Protein 10 expensive and some
times hard to get. However, the farm
or has on the farm many feeds rich in
protein which can be turned into an
available form for the birds. It can be
secured through the greater use Of green
cut-bone and clover hay. On many a
barn floor, quantities of clover chat,
the leaves and the small twigs are allow
ed to lie and 90 to waste, while the birds
in the nearby poultry house are prac-
tically protein starved.
"Now, in regard to the feeding.
Birds must be we'll fed, not overfed nor
underfed. The feeder must take time
and observe the requirements of bis
birds. 1t is we'll to use variety Of hard
grains and by the manipulation Of the
hard grains It is often possible to vary
egg production in comparatively small
flock from FIVE to ten eggs day. The
feeder should be continually observing
his flock at feeding time. I know Of
some feeders who would feed flock Of
from two to three hundred birds In from
10 to Is minutes; 1 know of other feed
ers who would take 20 minutes and
longer to feed the same number of birds,
and 10 that time observe the flock and
be able to secure q much higher egg
yield. The way the birds eat the hard
grains Is also pretty good indicator Of
what their egg production will be.
"a flock of hens may be laying so per
cent or better, but through some cause
or other the feeder may observe that
they don't come to greet him when he
enters the pen, that they do not seem to
eat readily Of their grain when he throws
tho grain into tho litter, they may con-
tinue to lay very we'll for day or two
but just az soon ss the birds begin to
act listless and lazy, you may be sure
that the production Is going to fall of.
On the other hand, If the birds are eager
and anxious to meet the feeder when he
comes into the pen and begin to scratch
vigorously for the feed as soon as 1t is
thrown into the litter, you may be sure
that the birds are going to lay we'll for
many days to come, If nothing unfore-
seen turns up.
"a laying hen is a busy hen; exercise
is of the utmost importance 10 the secur-
ing of winter eggs. A good deep straw
litter should be provided. We find 1t
hard in some parts of the country 10 the
winter time to secure straw, but II the
average farmer and poultryman would
grow the grain that he ought to grow,
there would be no trouble in that direc-
tiOn,n