The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-15
REGULATION OF DIET IS
Big FACTOR IN HEALTH
Generally Small Percentage Of
Animal Matter Is Cause
Of Trouble.

The most important point connected
with the management OF poultry II In
suring productiveness to a very high de-
gree. This does not consist in fertility
OF the eggs set. which may be quite a
large percentage. but In the raising OF a
high percentage OF chickens from the eggs.
As a matter OF fact there Is not more
than about 10 per cent. OF the eggs set
which have not been fertil!zed. but owing
to the eggs not being naturally balanced
there Is failure OF the healthy develop
ment Of the embryo chickens. and they
perish at various stages OF their develop
ment or after emerging from the shell.
Most persons fail to perceive that the
proportion Of elements In eggs when they
have been fertilised are not always the
same. yet they should be about the same
In order for chickens o! good stamina to
be developed from them. They should
have Just the right proportions Of ele-
ments necessary for tho perfect develop
ment OF chicken with good stamina
Unfortunately very large proportion OF
the chickens Matched have a great excess
OF cheesy, fatty matter In them. owing IL
there having been an excess In tho diet
OF the birds which produced the eggs
As rule there Is q deficiency OF muscle
forming elements.
When one Is aware Of there being . very
great deficiency In the usual diet Of pou!-
try one hardly could fall to perceive that
there must be n shortage in the eggs pro-
duced. especially when there are four or
/ many more times AZ many. produced AZ
would be the case were the birds living IN
naturally wild state with wholly natu.
raj environments. Living under natural
conditions they at least would have three
times the proportion Of muscle forming
elements In the digestible solids devoured
as poultry usually have In their diet
the high percentage being chiefly due 70
the large quantity OF animal matter de-
voured.
This brings us TO the point Il IN 90
necessary for keepers Of poultry to per-
celve-the need OF n considerable GUAM
tity OF animal matter OF some kind being
In the diet Of poultry right from the shell
to provide depends upon the circumstances
and the environments. When being kept
where they can obtain a considerable
quantity by foraging for IT, Il may NOT he
necessary to provide any. except when
there is a scarcity. owing to inclemency OF
weather or other causes. Breeding stock
should have animal matter from the shell
for chickens TO have IL than birds which
may be mated up for breeding from II Is
most important for chickens developing
| to have a suitable diet in order to insure
good stamina. II chickens do not develop
| Into birds OF good stamina they hardly
can be considered At to breed from.
| Chickens which have developed suitably
until arriving at maturity, though un.
suitably dieted for considerable tim,
| afterward. may produce eggs from which
chickens may be raised. and he, appar.
emily. quite good breeders, but not a,
good as birds which had been suitably fed
right ON unto the time when set aside
for killing for table purposes. Chickens
| which have been fed unsuitably TO ma.
turlty, even when fed fairly suitably after.
ward. are not likely to produce exss
from which robust chickens could b.
Matched.
| To an expert the plumage OF a bird indi.
Gates to a considerable degree its fitness
for raising chickens from Its eggs. Ami.
NAL matter. including a fair quantity OF
fat. promotes good condition OF plu.
mage. Keepers OF poultry should not breed
from birds which "hand In the moulr'--
| moult slowly--because II denotes an I'm.
healthy condition Of the skin. This Is ths
| result OF an excess Of limesalts and
starchy matter being In the diet. or the
birds being fed too exclusively with dry
| iooustuHs OF iooustuHs containing an eX.
| cess OF dlgestible solids.
| In regard to animal matter there In III,
point of suitability to be taken into account
Bone IL animal matter. but IL IL unsuita
bic for poultry when they are not pro
ducinG eggs. because II overtaxes thu
kidneys and skin Of birds This should
make poultry keepers careful to avoic
feeding the birds not producing egg
foodstuns containing bone. Poultry ar,
omnivorous. but they prefer animal mat
ter and In their wild state II forms IN,
chief portion OF their diet.