El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-07

wv THEN we consider that our poul-
MAJ try products are equal IN
w value to our cotton and hay
crops; that the egg is the most dlSes-
tible form of meat and can be cooked
in a multitude Of ways; that the Ilesh
of the chicken is priced by everyone
and that the barnyard fowl is the old
est of our domestic animals, it becomes
difficult to understand that so little
attention has been given TO making
poultry raising a science as well as
an arr. Before 1880 our knowledge OF
poultry production was negligible, ana
even after three decades of inVestga-
ton there is a great deal still to De
learned.
Conditions Differ.
our conditions here in the south
west for poultry raising are oiI1erehI
In some respects from those prevailing
in other regions. but on the whole they
are very favorable. The egg and meat
markets always offer generous prices
and the value of feed is reasonable
enough to allow liberal profits. Hens
hatch as large a percentage OF eggs
here as elsewhere, and the excessive
drvness of our climate need not affect
tne humidity in the incubators IL mons
ture pans are placed in them. BY prop
or breeding and feeding 200 egg mems
should be as easily developed here as
fn other parts.
The Food.
In feeding animals Of any KIND II Is
of course, the desire 70 get the most
,e+nrns for the least food We know
little of the fundamental prlhclples
governing the feeding Of fowls. ana
mill hv experiments we are able 10
de+ermine What breadth of ration Is
hss+ shifted so their needs we must use
Tho rules of nutrition applied TO otner
animals. Chickens are omniVorous anu
when fed a palatable variety OF LOUIS
they seem to do best
BEING of an active nature, with
bodv temperature of about 100 deg :,
they shange their food into flesh anu
eggs in comparatively snort Iii1e.
Green foods cause them TO eat Tess u
such rations as grain by-scrapS any
ground bone, and to lay more eggs
the Maine Agricultural college I'VE
wounds of clover hay cut into SNORT
3onotbs are given each day TO every
Inn birds in winter. Here in our re-
.yion alfalfa of a green and succuIehl
nature furnishes us with an econoHic ca
food that produces eggs and these win
voIks of a deep yellow Color
DETERMINING Rations-
A. tho Rhode Island station an m
+eresting experiment was concucleo L"
determine the best breadth Of ration Ior
having fowls. Pens consisting OF ~
hens each were fed on medium, mario"
and wide rations during the moltlhs
season TO test the effect of these upon
egg production The medium ration
had a nutritive ratio Of 1 TO o. ana con
sisted of cracked corn for morning 1eeo'
end a mash for night feed. CONSISTING
Of bran Is pounds, corn meal Is pouhus'
beef scrap five pounds. cottonseeo meai
four pounds, linseed meal three pounuo.
The narrow ration, nutritive ratlo ol
to %. was made up of oats for morn
ing and the same night fed as IN the
,oedirm ration, while at noon, three
times a week, 21z ounces OF green cur
hone was given to each TO narrow tae
ration. The wide ration, nutrltiVe ral.o
70 "a. consisted of cracked corn II.
sbe morning, and at night a nash "a
bran 141h pounds, corn meal 10 pouhus'
The Cost.
A. the end of three years the me
6ium ration fowls had laid fzS eggs tne
narrow eOs and the wide 509, al a cos'
of 20 cents, SIS cents and 5S cents re-
snectively, per year This experiment
sbonved that the narrow ration, costlns
Yase than the medium and slightly more