Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1917-03-16
Feeding the Hen for Eggs

cows, and our pigs but we "keep"
chickens. 1t isn't much trouble to
"keep" chickens. They can roost
most any old place, on the fence, in
the barn or pig pen, or even in the
trees. They can live on most any
thing-bugs, worms, waste grain,
litter or table scraps. The average
farmer considers poultry raising side
issue or perhaps a necessary nuisance
he must put up with in order to have
few fresh eggs or fry or roast now
and then. Yet this branch of farming
nets annual returns in the United
States of more than $500,000,000. Is
it worth while therefore to select
proper breeds, house them we'll and
feed them properly
Systematic feeding is as necessary
for the hen as for the horse, the cow,
or the pigs, and the purpose of this
article is to make a few practical sug-
gestions that are advocated by eX-
perienced poultry raisers and which
repeated tests have demonstrated as
highly efficient and useful. Only a
few months ago a lady told me, IL
fed my hens all the grain they wanted
to eat, but have not received an egg
all winter; so if they don't want to lay,
they can Just let it be-" Now, l have
had the same experience. | fed my
hens more than 500 worth of grain
one winter and they ''let it be-, with
vengeance, too.
So what is the proper way? In the
first place hens must have plenty Of
grit, charcoal, oyster she'll and clean
water before them at all times. The
grit is the hens teeth, the charcoal
absorbs waste, poisonous matter anC
carries it out Of the system, besides
materially aiding the digestion of food
and the oyster shell is necessary tt
form the shell Of the eggs, bat this il
by no means all that is required. Tel
per cent Of an egg consists of fat; ff
teen per cent Of protein, seventy-foul
per cent of water, and sulphur. .Tc
produce an egg the hen must be fec
the kind of food which will furnish
the above named material of which
the egg consists. Grain, especially
corn, furnishes the carbon and starcl
the heat and fat making foods; mil
feeds such as bran and shorts O
middlings, together with milk and bee
scraps furnish the protein, and pur,
water and oyster shells the remaining
part Of the egg. From this it will b
be clear what we must feed. Blu
how much, some one will ask. Thi
question can not be definitely answers
here because the amount to be fed dc
ponds upon the breed of hens, as wei
as on the conditions under which the
are kept. Leghorns need less foo,
than Plymouth Rocks and other lal
ger breeds, and hens on the farm ger
orally need less feed than those cor
fined. Moreover, hens need more fee
during severe cold weather than dul
ing mild weather because during 81
we're weather they must maintain tn
warmth of the body by consumin
more foods.
The following will constitute we
balanced, as we'll as proper amour
of feed for hundred good sized her
during cold weather. Give in tt
morning ten to twelve pounds I
cracked wheat, oats and barley, col
sisting of six pounds of wheat, thrt
/ pounds of barley, and one to tW
pounds of oats. If corn and cracke
] peas could be substituted for the ba
: ley and oats, at least part of the tim
it would be so much the better. Civ
at noon 5 pounds Of bran, 2 pounds
. shorts or middling, 2 pounds of be
scrap and 2 ounces of charcoal, dam
ened with water or milk, sweet mil
clabber milk, or buttermilk, until
becomes a crumbling, cohesive mas
If milk is used, the beef scrap can /
dispensed WITH and crushed bone ust
in its stead. At night grain may
, given only two thirds as much as
the morning. Care must be taxi
I not to give too much meat, for mea
although necessary where milk is n
o,o:loLIo - r.;,,o,0 - too loro,o C,,,o