Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-09
WHERE MOST OF
POULTRY PROFIT LIES

possible we should use economy In tho
production as well good judgment
In the marketing of eggs and poultry.
/ The farmer has a great advantage
mere over the poultryman who has all
the feed to buy, and we must not for
get to make the best use possible Of
this advantage
At sowing and planting timo is when
we should make our plans for a variety
Of feed for the poultry through the
year and especially for tho winter
You Will want enough wheat, oats.
| rye and barley sown to supply these
| grains In the bundle for the hons to
work on. Sow some millet also to add
to the variety and to furnish seed for
next years little chicks. Mangle or
stock beets make a good green food
for the hens in the winter, so you
will need to plant plenty OF them.
Cabbage heads are a great treat for
the fowls, so raise a few extra for
them
Plant mammoth Russian sunnowers
in the corners and waste places. and
| II there are not enough corners to
! raise good many. plant patch of
them. Sunfiower seeds are great egg
producers and also make the plumage
of the fowls bright and beautiful.
They are fine to feed through the
moulting season. as they nourIsh the
feathers and cause chem to grow
| rapidly
variety In the FOOD Is more than
half the secret OF egg production. and
it Is much cheaper to raise these dif-
ferent foods than it Is to buy them, so
! do not forget the poultry at the plant
, ing time.
Grit and charcoal can be found and
made on the farm and the expense of
buying these necessary things can he
saved If there is a crock bed near
maui gravel from that and place near
the hen houses where the poultry can
ma II. Charcoal can be made by taxi
ing the live Goals from the stove and
pouring water over them. They will
| Immediately turn to charcoal and cnn
be ground or broken up Into the right
size for the chickens to swallow Better
! 40 this work out Of doors as steam
| and ashes Will fly from the Goals when
| the water is poured on them
| In these ways we can greatly reduce
the cost OF keeping our poultry. and q
/ Will pay us to give time and thouRht
| 10 our work, as the profit In the poultry
| business. as In any other, lies between
me cost or production and the amount
received for the marketed products.
BESIDES comfortable quarters, tho
chick, to thrive, must have exerci.a
water. grit. variety of grain food
green or succulent food, and casein
{ or meat foods.
exercise Is as essential as food. and
lack OF II indicates wrong methods 90
ing me natural way for a chick
| TO take its food is to scratch ror =,
taking little at a time. II small III
chickens are put into a box with a
| pare floor and fed from a trough. tb.y
VIII become weak. Many Will becoma
clogged behind with the excrements
accumuiating on the down. and II is
! generally concluded that somethine
has been fed to cause bowel troubIe
AS matter Of fact they are weak
| from lack of exercise, and the apneer
ance of diarrhea is only the inability
:. of the chick to properly expel its
/ excrement.
II chicks cannot be out of door.
their feeding floor should be covered
| with sand. and over this should he
thrown some litter. such as chan from
the straw stack or leaves from an
alfalfa loft. Place the feed in this
litter. If small quantities are thus
given. and given often, the question OF
need moro care In this way than do
chicks with hens. but even in the latter
case 1t is worth while to make them
scratch for their food when they arc
| raised indoors.
The notion is prevalent that a chick
should begin his diet on boiled eggs
bread and milk. or some other soft
| food. This notion has probably arisen
from the knowledge that most young
animals cannot digest hard foods. But
when we consider the fact that tho
natural food OF tho young mammal is
milk. we soc why this principle does
not apply to chickens.
Little chicks should be first fed when
| seventy-two to ninety-six hours old.
Feed small quantities. and as often as
is convenient If the feed is buried
In deep litter they must work longer
getting 1t out. The idea Is to have
them always hungry enough, to hunt
for food. and always little food for
them TO find. II the chicks are at
! liberty. feeding often is not so impor-
tant-three times a day would be
sufficient: while II they roam far in
the fields. finding much food. morning
and evening feeding IS all that is neces-
sary. II Us not a matter of great inn
portance just what grain a chicken
Is first fed. The important thing is
that they be supplied with a variety
Of grain as we'll as with casein or meat,
grit and green food.
Protect Against IfRhtufno.