Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-11-21
F.
HAPPENINGS
Lessons of National Egg-Laying
Contest Held in the Ozark Hills.

up Wnlcn Will tar exceed the average
of but eighty eggs a year, which now
represents Missouri production.
OF course, after a hen of the proper
breeding has been produced, the duty
of the owners is not at al end. She
must be fed and cared for. She must
have those rations which go toward
be guarded.
During the progress of the expert
ment at Mountain Grove the strictest
attention was paid the matter of ra-
tion for the hens, the chief feeds be-
ing a grain mixture and a dry mash
fed in a hopper. Green feed was sup
piled by giving the birds "sprouted"
oats. The grain mixture was COM
posed in the following proportions:
Cracked corn, 200 pounds; wheat, 200
pounds; oats, 100 pounds. In the Sec
ond contest, just started, Mr.. Quisen-
berry announces that this grain ration
will be changed. Two parts of corn
and one part of wheat will be the
grain. mixture for the winter months
and the proportions will be reversed
during the summer months. The oats
will be eliminated from the grain ra-
ton, as the hulls caused some little
trouble during the contest just closed.
In the 1911-12 contest the dry mash
was composed as follows: Wheat
brain, 100 pounds; middlings or
shorts, 200 pounds, cor meal, 200
pounds; rolled or ground oats, 200.
pounds; dry beef scraps, $50 pounds;
alfalfa meal, rs pounds; gluten meal,
SO pounds; oil meal, rs pounds; fine
table salt, 5 pounds, and powdered
charcoal, rs pounds.
In the present contest the dry mash
also will be changed. In order to
overcome the loss Of oats in the grain
ration the oats in the dry mash will
be increased from 200 to 800 pounds.
The sprouted oats ration will be con-
tinued. The dry beef contests of the
dry mash will be increased from $50
pounds to $50 pounds, and the char
coal from % to So pounds.
The cost of these feeds will, Of
course, vary in different localities, but
the Mountain Grove experiments were
based on prices which brought the
cost to about / 1-3 cents a pound for
the grain mixtures and almots 2 cents
a pound for the dry mash.
1t was the custom during the test
to feed about half a pint of the grain
ration to a pen of five hens each
morning. This was scattered in litter,
so the birds would have to work for
their feed. The night feed of the
grain allowance was slightly greater.
The dry mash, being fed in %hoppers,
was before the hens all of the time
and could be partaken Of at will.
At noon each day at the rate Of a
handful to each hen, some of the dry
mash, which had been moistened with
buttermilk or skim milk, was fed the
focks in trSughs. This was not given
in quantities to entirely satisfy the
appetites of the hens, being given
more to allow a variety and to whet
the appetite. The hens actually
fought over the limited ration, Sc
much did they desire it.
1t was at this monday meal that
the sprouted oats were given. Mr.
Quisenberry says the birds liked the
sprouted oats better than any class OF
green feed tried, that it was econom
ical and caused little trouble in prep
aration.
No quicker check, it was found
could be placed on egg production
than to allow the drinking pans to be
come dry, SO there was special atten
ton to this detail, wiHter and SUM
kmer. A small quantity of perman
ganate of potash was used in the
drinking water to prevent colds ant
disease. A like quantity of Epson
salts was fed in the moistened masf
once or twice each month.
This, surely, Is a simple scheme O.
feeding, and it was found to pay hand
somely in results.
The houses used for the focks were
eight by ten feet, divided in the cen
ter. Each house had two ordinar.
stationary shutters in the front of tn
structure for ventilation, it beini
found that they were better than eth
err the open front or curtain type o
shelter, even during the severes
weather. Two window sashes wer
used in front and two in the rear, tn
latter under the dropping boards.
ventilator was placed in the rear, jus
beneath the caves. Each section wa
provided with roosts and feed hoI
. pers. Likewise each section was fl
ted with trap nests, two styles beinj
used. One was a home made, woot
, en- affair and the other a manufat
| tured metal device. Each was foun
t satisfactory.