The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-01-03

one third cents per pound, and the
cost Of the dry mash was nearly two
cents per pound. 1t can be seen from
the above how far the Australians are
in advance of the breeders of this
country In breeding for egg produc-
tion. The leading pen in this contest
averaged more than 20S eggs per hen,
but the leading pen in an Australian
contest which recently closed averaged
more than $50 eggs per hen. Also, in
the same Australian contest, $50 hens
gathered from SO different breeders
made an average Of nearly 200 eggs
per hen for the entire ESQ hens. But
they have been conducting these con-
tests in that country for ten years or
longer and the people have been edu-
csted to breed for egg production.
We hope to stimulate some such effort
in this country. The average farm
hen does not lay more than so eggs
per year at present. If we can even
raise the average to $50 or $50 eggs
per hen we can more than double or
treble the profit in poultry to the
average breeder. for he can get this
increase in most cases, with but little
II any additional cost for houses, feed
and stock.
The Houses Used.
The houses used were 8xlO feet.
Each had two ordinary stationary
shutters for ventilation in the front
part of the house, These have proven
to be tar better than an open front
o. curtain front, even in the severest
weather, Two window sash were used
in the front, and two in the rear of
the house under the droppings board.
A ventilator was placed in the rear,
just beneath the caves. Each had
droppings board, roosts and feed hop
pers. Each house was divided in the
center by a partition.
The Trap Nests.
Each house was fitted with two
styles OF trap nests. one wooden
home made nest, and the other a GAL
vanized iron manufactured nest. Both
were very satisfactory. The galvan-
lied nest proved the most satisfa Glory
OF all nests we have tried out. 1t was
most sanitary, most reliable and easiest
operated.
The Method of Feeding.
Grain nixture-200 lbs. cracked corn,
200 lbs. wheat, 100 lbs. oats.
Dry mash fed in hopper--100 lbs.
wheat bran, 200 lbs. middlings or
shorts, 200 lbs. corn meal. 200 lbs.
rolled or ground oats, $50 lbs. dry beef
scraps, IS lbs. alfalfa meal, so lbs.
gluten meal, % lbs, o. P. oil meal,
lbs. fine table salt, % lbs. powdered
charcoal.
The cost Of this feed will Of course
vary in different localities. We find
that the average cost to us for this
feed for the year was about one and
cne- third cents per pound for the
grain mixture, and nearly two cents
per pound for the dry mash mixture.
About one-half pint of the grain
mixture was fed in the litter each
morning to a pen Of five hens. A
slightly greater quantity was fed at
night. This dry mash mixture was
kept before the fowls at all times. At
O'Clock each day, handful of the
same dry mash which had been moist
ened with buttermilk or skim milk
was fed in a trough to each pen. We
did not give them all they desired of
this moistened mash, f1hut just enough
to add variety and to whet their appe-
tites, and they literally, fought to get
to it. We also gave each pen hand
full Of sprouted oats about this time
each day. We discovered that they
liked this kind of green food better
than any other we could get. We also
found that we could supply this kind
of green food about as economically
as any other. and with as little trouble
by properly preparing to sprout the
oats. We never let the drinking pan
go dry winter nor summer, and be-
lieve that a dry drinking pan will cut
the egg yield as quickly as anything
else If not quicker. We used small
quantity Of permanganate of potash in
the drinking water to prevent colds
and disease. A small quantity of Ep-
som salts was fed in the moistened
mash once or twice every month.
The only changes which will be
made in this method of feeding for
the contest are as follows:
Two parts Of corn and one part o:
wheat viii be the grain mixture for
winter months, and one part OF corn
and two parts of wheat for summer
months. The oats will be eliminated
from the grain mixture for the reason
that the hull on the cats caused us
some trouble. In order to overcome
IL is loss Of oats in the grain mixture
we have increased the amount of oats
in the dry mash to three hundred
pounds and also will continue to in
crease the dry beef scraps to two
hundred and fifty pounds and the pow