, 1910-04-13
FEEDING POULTRY WITH CORN.

FEEDING POULTRY WITH CORN.
The following article, which deals with
the effect of feeding an excess of corn
(maize) to poultry, is reproduced, in the
Journal of tie J0majc0 19rictJt1naj
Society from Farm, Field and Flre$jde:-
A very common mistake made by pouIry
keepers is that of feeding birds on too much
corn (maize). Too much maize is not good
for fowls, as it brings on liver disease
sooner than anything We know. 1t makes
the bird too fat internally, and also makes
blood too fast. Fowls that are fed literally
upon it are lined with yellow fot, especially
in the abdomen, sometimes to the thickness
of half an inch. The consequence of all
this is that the egg organs become SO weak
that the hens lay eggs without shells.
These are not the worst effects Of feeding
on maize, as birds that ore so treated are
generally in a weak condition, and 50 they
are susceptible to many other affections and
diseases, especially cold and roup. 1t ie not
always liver diseQso that actually kills them,
but in consequence of the arrangement Of
that organ. the birds get into such u state
that diseases soon lay hold upon them and
overcome them, because thoy are too weak
to withstand the rayagos Of the disease.
In some instances whore we have found
cases Of roup that have proved to be incur
able, we have scon, on examination, that
the liver was discussed, being full OF TUDOR
culous matter and with white spots upon it,
In most cases whore roup has not yielded
TO treatment, we have found this tuber-
culous liver existing, and, in some instances,
tulnOur, the growth Of which tho maize IS
very likely to stimulate III cases whore
only ordinary ~hcrofula is coming on, TUDOR
culOus substance forms, ut first, III small
yellow spots, and these grow rapidly so
that in n very short time they are Il quarter
of an inch through, and the liver is more
than three times the ordinary size. We
have weighed u liver OF from 8 to III OF
the normal weight being from 2 to % OF.
Another cause Of u gront doal Of liver disease
is inbreeding. More fowls die Of this
disease thnn the others put together,
InsutGiciency Of small grit, feeding on
Indian corn, inbroading, aud bad ventila-
tion IRE the four greatest foes to success IN
poultry yards. We have known instances
whore farmers have used maize for years
together, and it has had such q bud effect
upon the progeny that scarcely q chicken
of all that were Matched lived They died,
many Of them, whom from four to SIX days
ola, some nVln8 unClI tnoy were from l1Ie0
to six weeks old.
Poultry keepers use maize (ooru) because
it is a choap food, and fowls seem to preior
it to any other, but they have to ply very
dearly for their fancy, and only the bare,
sad facts will convince them Of the danger
of using too much. A little corn for a
change does not hurt the fowls, especially in
the cold weather, but MS II regular dict it
sh0uld never be uSpd
In commenting on this, the Journal Of
the jamaica 41gricultu, al Socle'y points
out that the particular corn, to which
reference is made is American corn, which
contains a larger proportion Of starch than
the ordinary West Indian varieties. After
mentioning that a constant diet Of the latter
even, will not give the best results, it sug-
gests that, whore it is difficult to get other
food for poultry than corn, the latter should
be parchod, and fed in that state Tor three
or four days at a jno,-4arjeU1tar4! Ns,os,
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