Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-31
WATCH APPETITE
Of YOUR FOWLS
Is Best Test of Their Condition.
In General, Give All They
Will Eat.
BY CHARLES slMMoNDs.

usually necessary 10 90 ali tHdl is pos
sible to increase or sharpen" their ap-
petites to receive the great profits
So long as hen has a bright red
comb and a good appetite she is max
ing good use of her food and all that
she can be made to consume above
what is required to repair body waste
will go to make eggs or to lay on fat,
according to the nature If the hen.
Nothing will force winter egg produc-
tion like a crumbling wet mash fed
as soon in the morning as II Is light
enough for the fowls to see to eat a.
This mash will be eaten greedily long
before the birds would venture off the
roosts on a cold morning to eat cold
dry mash or to scratch for whole grains.
After eating the wet mash, the birds
will begin working the automatic feed
er and will consume about twice as
much food Con a cold, short day. as II
the mash were not given.
II a wet mash is used for forcing in
summer it will be most effective given
just before the birds go to roost at
night when dry mash is hopper fed
and the fowls may eat 1t as soon in the
morning as they desire). A little spice
added to the mash occasionally or a
slight change in the ingredients OF the
mash or grain feed will serve TO sharp
en- the appetites Of the birds.
Don't Force the Breeders.
With layers 1t Is most profitable to
force them to their almost capacity for
a year or two and then market them
and I'LL their places with pullets. but
with breeding stock this plan would
work disaster as the fertility of the
eggs would be very low and what
chicks did hatch would be weak and
not worth raising.
Birds intended for breeding should be
we'll fed at all times. but with a view
10 keeping them in the most vigorous,
healthy condition rather than produce
ing eggs. If they are fed in this way
they will produce some eggs all the
year, but not nearly as many as the
birds that are forced for egg produc-
ton.
The pullet that Is intended for breed
Ing will require very different care II
she reaches laying maturity In August
or September than If not ready to lay
before November or December. The
bird that shows signs of laying in warm
weather should be made to take plenty
Of exercise. eat nothing but dry feed
and not too much meat food, or she
will be we'll developed before beginning
to lay. After she begins to lay this
treatment should be continued until a
Il 4
for incubating. But If the pullet does
not reach maturity until the days are
cold and short, she will generally post
pone laying until warm weather the
following spring unless given extra
good care, plenty of meat food, warm
mash in the morning, etc. until she be-
gins to lay, when she should be treated
like the earlier Matched pullet that be-
gan laying in the summer.
Give the Breeders Good Rest.
AS soon as the breeding season is
over the hens that are to be used for
breeding the following season should
be moved TO fresh range and given
plenty of buttermilk or clabbered skim
milk, but no meat foods. This will
generally check egg production and
they will moult early and lay on little
surplus fat before cold weather. The
hens Of the heavier breeds must be
watched that they do not become over
fat before the breeding season. II there
is plenty of bran in the dry mash that
Is fed and they are compelled to work
for their grain they viii not
change Of climate is good for fowls
as well as humans, and invariably re-
suits in increased egg production and
vigOr Of the birds that are removed to
a different climate. but their progeny
will sometimes be a disappointment
after several years breeding. The rea-
son is that every climate has its faults
and after certain strain is bred for
many years in certain climate they
become by natural selection or the
survival Of the 1ttest," especially fitted
TO Withstand the seventies Of that par
ticular climate. BY the wear being
thrown upon another part of the body
the birds gain vigor upon being moved
TO a different climate. but not being
especially fitted to combat the defects
OF the new climate, they may. after
several generations NOI sooner, IT the
change is great, become weakened in
some part before natural selection has
had time to At them for the new eli
mate.
Get Birds From Other Climates.
For these reasons ii is not wise 20
breed fowls in one climate continually
without getting outside blood from a
flock raised in a different climate and
under different conditions of feed and
care, especially so when one starts by
purchasing his fowls all from one per-
son. When starting TO raise exhibition
stock il is always best to buy a pen or
trio of one breeder mated by him. The
females in the mating may be studied
and a few others purchased Of another
breeder (if you use trap nests and you
are then in a position TO breed several
years should you desire, without hav-
ing to introduce blood from an UNI
known strain. When II is desired To
introduce new blood a male may be
purchased OF either one OF the breeders
from which the original birds came
with assurance that # will mick" with
the blood of your own strain and not
tear down the results of any of your
years Of labor.--American Poultry
Journal