Milford chronicle., 1917-11-09
Balanced Winter RatiOns For Fowls
Bv J. H. MeFAUL, Jr.
IN Rights Resey7edl

] "No eggs from my HtHA hN
! The man that's behind the hen that pe-
hind the egg. and do your bit toward IN
creasiug the supply during the winter
which is fast breaking IN upon US
I a grain ration mixed after the follow
4 ing formula viii not only be iouna 20 oe
n yeu balanced one that will give excel
/ lent results. provided the other points
d, the feeding problem are also given
,.o,,r attention No ration is well bal
anced il all grains are mixed in equal
narts Wheat and hulled oats should
oform the greater part Of the mixture
and while I realize that at present both
ingredients are rather expensive, please
remember also that eggs are not within
easy reach when price is considered.
Mix as follows: Wheat parts, hulled
oats . parts cracked corn / part barley
part. milet / part. buckwheat and
sunfower seed y part. There are many
persons who do not care TO use millet
and buckwheat. but their presence is TO
be strongly advocated. Never use the
whole corn in the rations. II the weather
becomes very severe you may add little
whole corn 10 that feed in the evening
10 increase bodily heay while the fowls
are roostlng Don't cut down on the
portions OF wheat and oats and then eN-
pect 10 get as many eggs as If they
we're fed in larger quantities. Wheat
is the staple chicken food, and indeed
many persons who have il in large guam
titles feed but little else with good re-
suits.
II the quantity Of corn is increased
during the extreme cold weather, don't
forget TO cut it down as the tempera
ture falls and the weather moderates,
as corn is too heating and will cause
much trouble Feed the balanced ration
as above twice a day morning and ev-
ening. i'm a good light litter. This com
pels the fowls TO scratch for it and thus
get that much needed exercise which
tends largely towards keeping them In
perfect health.
Dull. ustless fowls viii never produce
eggs 10 any degree. and every hen will
most certainly get into this class unless
forced 20 take exercise. The feeding OF
the grain in a good light litter is the best
means known 10 force them to scratch.
Steer clear Of the use OF rye in the
hens rations. It is not good for them
and should never be used, owing to the
amount Of ergot which IL contains. Then
too. the hens have no appetite for IL and
will not partake unless forced to do so.
Better let them have their own way and
/ remember they are better able to judge
than you are.
! Perhaps other grain rations are equal
/ Is as good as the one here given, partic-
ularly II properly proportioned. but this
one I can recommend as meeting all OF
| the requirements OF the fowls. both for
their bodily wants and the making Of
! eggs.
] But we should go a step further than
a grain ration for the production Of the
winter eggs II is necessary TO feed
] something else 10 stimulate egg produc-
/ ton That something is an egg laying
mash and a daily allotment Of green
/ food Both are almost imperative 10
good yield. A good mash. and one that
will be found to answer every need Of
] the hen. can be made by mixing the fol-
/ lowing ingredients: one part each Of
wheat bran. meal or chop, middlings
| beef scrap and gluten meal, TO which
may be added lnseed meal. 10 pounds to
/ the hundred. then salted 10 taste the
same as ones own food. This mash
should be kept before the fowls at all
1 times in quantity, so that they can help
/ themselves at will.
Many persons feed the mash food wet
but after quite a bit Of experience along
this line. 1 would never advise feeding
il in this form Serve it dry. The birds
/ like Il just as we'll and there is not much
danger I'm its feeding, as is the case with
the wet mash.
Much stress should be laid upon the
green food, as 1t is necessary as a por-
tion Of the diet Of the hen when one is
working for big egg yield. There are
many forms Of green food such as cab
bage. beets. mangles and the like but
believe that sprouted oats are the best
green food and in addition. are the
cheapest to most poultry men.
Still another point in the securing Of
winter eggs is just how you feed. one
might comply with all the really inn
portant details. as concerns the mixing
Of foods in their proper proportions, and
yet feed improperly.
| To obtain the best results feed the
grain rations twice day. morning and
evening. and the green food as n noon
day lunch. The mash food being kept
before the fowls at all times, allows
them to satisfy their hunger between
meals.
The above method. il judiciously fol-
lowed. should bring results during this
winter and allow you to reap profit
from your fiocks when they would 9TH
erwise be idle.